Harem House Chapter 48

Yvonne took a deep breath and led Selene off to the side. They stood under the shade of an oak tree with half its leaves on the ground. Fake spider-webs filled out the leafless branches, though for all the webs and Halloween decorations at the Faire, she’d seen no spiders. She hoped that the trend continued. Yvonne hated spiders and snakes, though that wasn’t unique to her. 

She glanced at Selene, who sounded much calmer after her trip to the bus with Arthur. Her outfit was sluttier, and Yvonne imagined they’d fucked while they were away. She couldn’t stop imagining it. Arthur’s muscular body in nothing but his bracers, manhandling Selene in nothing but her chainmail bracelets, anklets, and collar. Her imagination barely had to stretch its muscles to see them together, and envy threatened to stir her hatred for Selene, but she held it at bay. Selene was her friend. Arthur, too, was her friend. They weren’t trying to hurt her with their happiness. 

She should be happy for them. She was, or so she told herself. It sounded less convincing in her head every time she repeated it, but that didn’t stop her from trying. 

If she were in a mean mood, she’d expect Selene to rub her victory in Yvonne’s face. They’d both lusted after Arthur and crushed on him over the years. They’d competed for his attention ever since they met him at auditions. Lori had always kept Yvonne at bay, but Arthur’s ex liked Selene. 

Yvonne told herself it was because she didn’t see Selene as a threat, but her confidence in her ability to seduce Arthur had proven unfounded. She’d been so sure that if she gave him time, he’d come to her when he realized she was the perfect girl for him. Now she realized she’d been wrong. She wasn’t perfect for Arthur, but Selene was. The group of them was.

Yvonne had played opposite Arthur more often on stage, but he and Selene always had this connection of common interests that Yvonne couldn’t match. Selene agreed with everything Arthur said, but Yvonne thought challenging him might help her stand out. It worked, but not the way she’d hoped. He’d told her he hated her personality, which made her love for him even more painful. 

“So,” Yvonne said, unsure how to begin. 

“So,” Selene said, her voice meek as she kept her eyes low. “About the whole penance thing.” 

Yvonne looked at Selene, meeting her gaze. Selene looked embarrassed, a faint tint to her cheeks as she looked down, lowering her eyes to Yvonne’s cleavage. She hesitated there, then continued to let them drop over Yvonne’s hoop skirts to the leaf-covered ground. Selene sipped from a water bottle, as if it gave her courage. She took another deep breath. 

“My penance?” Yvonne asked, latching onto what Selene wanted to say. “Did you and Arthur agree? Am I allowed to spend an hour in the stocks? Or is he blocking our reconciliation?” 

“He’s all for your reconciliation, but he doesn’t want you in the stocks, no,” Selene said. “I was wrong to ask you to do that. I’m sorry. Can we forget the penance and just move forward without it?” 

“Were you wrong?” Yvonne asked. “Saying sorry is one thing, but proving I’m sorry by making it up to you seems… cathartic. The stocks are harmless, petty, but harmless. If teasing and humiliation are all it takes? I’ll do it if it fixes things between us. I don’t want things to be weird, or for you to hold any resentment.” 

Their friendship was non-existent now, but Yvonne had always considered Selene a friend. A rival, sure, but a friendly rivalry never hurt anyone. Rivalry was how Yvonne showed affection, and she thought her friends understood that, but Arthur had misunderstood her at every turn. Had Selene? 

Either way, she didn’t want what she’d done to poison their friendship forever. Consequences abounded, but they needed to restart their friendship on even ground, not with secret resentment lurking beneath it. If Selene’s vengeance was what she needed to start on equal footing again, and it wasn’t too terrible, Yvonne wanted to do it. She especially needed to since Maria based her acceptance on Selene’s. 

“I messed up everything between us, and I’m sorry for that as much as for what I did to you and Arthur. I miss you,” Yvonne said. She meant it. “I miss our friendship, and I’m so, so sorry that I fucked everything up.” 

Selene swallowed. She lifted her eyes to meet Yvonne’s with a soft, sad smile. “Yeah, I haven’t been great at keeping our friendship in mind, either.” 

Yvonne smiled softly. “I mean, you dropping off the face of the Earth was my first sign that you were fucking Arthur. I don’t know if it was guilt because you knew I was into him too, or what, but you vanished from our text threads overnight.” 

Selene blushed. “Sorry. I should have told you what was between us rather than letting you find out at the Theater Club meeting. We weren’t trying to rub it in your face. I dove in with both feet and haven’t been great about surfacing.” 

“I’ll say,” Yvonne said. “Even so, I’m the one who needs to make up for things, not you.” 

“Yeah,” Selene agreed. “But I can still apologize for what I’ve done that’s hurt you. It might not be as big, or as mean-spirited, or have as life-altering consequences, but it was still wrong of me.”

Yvonne could tell she was trying to inject humor to lighten the mood, but it felt out of place. They just needed to get through the conversation without Yvonne turning it into a fight or either of them crying. Everything she said was true, though. Yvonne had tried to hurt Arthur, and that was worse than just yelling or blowing up at someone.

“What I did was fucked up, yeah,” Yvonne admitted. “And I’m sorry. I’ll say it as many times as I can, but please know that I’ve learned my lesson. I’ll never do anything like that again. You, Arthur, and your, uh, group—” 

“Harem,” Selene said. 

“Harem,” Yvonne said with significant hesitation. “You have my full support. And again, I am so sorry.” 

“I know you are,” Selene said, sighing. “But honestly, every time you apologize, it just reminds me of what you did and makes me angry. I’m still angry, to be honest.” 

“You are?” Yvonne asked, wary. Selene seemed calm, but that could be just for show. Arthur’s eyes kept flicking over to them. They had an audience monitoring them, but Yvonne wasn’t sure whether that was to judge her sincerity or to keep Selene from attacking her. Did she have to worry about Selene kicking her shins or clawing her eyes out if Arthur turned his back? 

“Yeah,” Selene said. “I mean, after what he endured in high school, trying to destroy his reputation on campus? It makes you like Angie.” 

“Or Lynn,” Yvonne said. 

Selene shook her head. “Not quite that bad. Lynn’s way worse than Angie, and Angie is still worse than you.” 

Yvonne took that as a positive sign, but wasn’t sure whether rating how much she’d hurt Arthur had a purpose beyond making her feel guilt and shame at her mistakes. She had heaps of guilt and shame on her heart for what she’d done without comparison. Apologizing only unloaded portions of guilt. Standing in the pillory for an hour would have unloaded more of it. 

“Well, I didn’t go after everyone in the harem, I guess,” Yvonne said. Everyone in the group said Lynn’s name with a hushed hatred that she didn’t understand. But it wasn’t her place to ask what Lynn had done that made her worse than Angie in everyone’s eyes. She assumed it was because Angie’s sins were from high school and stayed there, while Lynn had mounted fresh grievances on top of old ones. “I know saying ‘sorry’ doesn’t fix everything. However, I intend to put the work in and prove myself, which is why I’m happy to stand in the pillory if that’s what it takes. I’d offer to let you throw vegetables at me, but Caleb helped me sew this dress, and he’d murder you.” 

Selene laughed. “I know, and if it were just me that you hurt with your lies and rumors, I wouldn’t care that much.” 

“But?” Yvonne asked, sensing the contradiction coming. 

“But you went after Arthur,” Selene said, her eyes narrowing. She didn’t hold any heat in her voice. The words were a cold statement of the facts. They condemned her not because of Selene’s wrath but because of their validity. “If it were up to me, I’d punish you for it.” 

“It is up to you,” Yvonne said. “But… punish how?” 

Selene’s expression flickered through several emotions, some more suggestive than others. Then she shook her head and scrunched her nose, a familiar expression that relaxed Yvonne. Selene often made it when she was in a good mood. 

“It’s not up to me,” Selene said. 

“Okay, let’s assume it’s not. If it were, though?” Yvonne asked. 

Selene clamped her lips shut and shook her head. 

“Come on,” Yvonne said. “I won’t tell Arthur you told me. Please? I’ll do anything to make things right between us. I miss you, Selene.” 

Selene sighed. “If it were up to me, and you were into it, well, let’s just say I’ve learned a few good cathartic punishments recently.” 

“Yeah?” Yvonne asked. “Like the pillory?” 

“And other things,” Selene said. “They’re sexual, though, which is inappropriate. You’re not part of the harem, or into what we’re into. So it’d be wrong to spank you, whip you, or stick you on a pole and edge you for hours on end.” 

Yvonne swallowed, blushing a furious red to match the leaves above them. “I—” 

“If it were up to me, I’d want to hold you down while Arthur hate-fucked the shit out of you,” Selene said. “I’d pin your arms and sit on your face, or something, and make you earn your forgiveness. Humiliation and teasing are too passive for you, but working toward your redemption by eating me out while Arthur ruined you? I’d love to see that.”

“Oh my God,” Yvonne said, her blush turning crimson. “I—” 

Selene held up her hand to stop her. “I know,” she said. “I went too far, sorry. It’s too easy for my imagination to run away with me, but it’s wrong to put that onto you.”  

Yvonne fanned her face, trying to cool the blush from her cheeks with the wind. She had imagined herself with Arthur several times, but a threesome with him and one of his girlfriends? With Selene? One where they punished her with pornographic levels of sex? Where they made her do things to Selene? Or to his other girlfriends?

She couldn’t explain why those mental images made her heart beat faster, or why they made her clench her hand so hard that her nails dug into her palm. She bit her lip so hard that it spiked pain through her face, and she couldn’t look Selene in the eye. 

Yvonne had never had a threesome or even kissed a girl. She’d never considered them as sexual options, and here was Selene, a friend, discussing sitting on her face, making her use her tongue to get Selene wet for Arthur’s cock. 

Yvonne’s eyes dropped to Selene’s bikini. The pale line of her legs meeting her crotch was on display between the slits of her hip scarves and chainmail bottoms. “I—” Yvonne tried to speak, but despite her open mouth, no words followed. 

“Sorry,” Selene said. “I’ve been over-sexualizing everything, but I’m working on it. The sexual punishment stuff is inappropriate. That’s not something you’ve signed on for or want. You’re not even into girls.” 

Yvonne didn’t answer. She stared at Selene with wide eyes as she tried to think of what to say. Her mouth refused to form any words. No, she wasn’t into women. At least she hadn’t thought she was. She couldn’t imagine what kissing Selene would be like. Soft, she imagined. Selene’s lips looked soft and hot. Selene was passionate. If she kissed someone, it wasn’t going to be a docile affair. She imagined that’s what doing other things with her would be like. Soft, far softer than if she did them with Arthur, but bursting with passion. In her dreams, Arthur alternated between rough passion and gentle love, but he was never soft. He was all man, hard, unyielding, pulling her to him and venting his passions.

“Can we start again?” Selene asked, frustrated with herself. She stamped her foot and shook her limbs as if trying to shake off a cobweb. “The whole penance suggestion was out of line, and I shouldn’t have tried to drag you into our games. I’m sorry.” 

“Games?” Yvonne asked, shaking herself out of her stupor as the word made her think of something else. “Like the tournament?” The prize was a night with Arthur, right? Can anyone play? 

Selene shook her head. “No. Games that end with me tied up in Arthur’s trunk.” 

Realization slapped Yvonne in the face, which kept the red blush on her cheeks hot and vibrant. “Oh.” 

“Yeah,” Selene said. She drew a deep breath and released it. “I’m sorry.” 

“Why drag me into those games if Arthur is so opposed to doing anything with me?” Yvonne asked. “Arthur hates me.” 

“He doesn’t hate you,” Selene corrected her. “He just says he’s not interested in you romantically. There’s a difference.” 

“Okay, so why drag me in if he’s not interested? Isn’t he your…” Yvonne hesitated. She couldn’t bring herself to say the word ‘master’ in relation to Arthur and Selene. It seemed so formal yet silly. 

“My master,” Selene said, smiling. “Yeah. But he’s not yours, and you’re not into that kind of thing. So I was wrong to drag you into it. Arthur helped me see that.” 

“It’s weird to think of him that way,” Yvonne said, still blushing. “Hot, but weird.” 

Selene glanced at Arthur, who was talking with Kelly while Katelyn and the others played with their catapults. They were out of earshot but able to see them. Selene kept her voice low as she returned her attention to Yvonne. “Hot?” she asked. “Are you into BDSM?” 

Yvonne shuffled, gripping her fingers in her hand in front of her and looking down, keeping her eyes on Selene’s anklets. “I don’t know, honestly, but maybe? His manhandling of you in the parking lot was hot. I couldn’t get it out of my head. I offered to let him do that to me when I met him at his car the other night. He turned me down without so much as even considering it, which stung.” 

Selene nodded. “I’m sorry.” 

Yvonne frowned, having no choice but to accept Selene’s pity. “Yeah. Me too.” 

“For what it’s worth, Yvonne, you’re a very attractive woman,” Selene patted her shoulder, looking her in the eyes. “I know you had your heart set on Arthur, but he’s not the only man on campus. I’m sure you can find someone to date.” 

“Good men are rarer than you’d think,” Yvonne said. “And good, straight men with a love for musical theater that rivals my own? A man who can stand up to me, argue with me, and still treat me with respect? Who are hot enough to melt me with a look?” She sighed. “I’ve only met the one.” 

“Yeah,” Selene said, understanding. “Same.” 

Yvonne sighed. “Congratulations, by the way, on your relationship. It’s weird, and not what I expected for him, but I take it you’re happy?” 

Selene smiled. “Extremely. Even with the recent drama.” 

“Yeah,” Yvonne nodded. “I shudder to think how awful it would’ve been for Arthur to face Lynn or Angie alone, without you and your group.” 

Selene nodded. “That would have been a nightmare.” 

“Do you think you and I will be friends again?” Yvonne asked. The shift in the conversation made her recall their many friendly conversations over the years, chatting in the theater building or working together behind the scenes. “Maybe we could have another girls’ night? You, me, Maria, and Caleb?” 

Selene chuckled. “We did that, what, twice last year?” 

“It was fun,” Yvonne said. “Pajamas, musicals, and ice cream. We can forget the Arthur of it all for a while, and just be friends again. Right? We can even invite Jen, if she’s into musicals, though I’m not sure how the ‘no significant others’ rule would work with your girlfriends.” 

Selene hesitated. “That’s a good idea. It wouldn’t hurt me to spend time with someone not in the harem. We could do it after fall break, or after Halloween?” 

“Sure,” Yvonne said. “I’ll start a group chat and get something on the calendar.” 

“Perfect,” Selene said. “I might not be active on it much until after fall break. Arthur and I are trying a, well, you don’t need to know about that.” 

“You can tell me,” Yvonne said. “But only if you want to.” 

Selene shrugged. “Let me know if it’s TMI, or if it’s uncomfortable if I talk about Arthur, okay?” 

Yvonne nodded. “It’s normal for you to talk about your boyfriend with your friends. I know things are awkward, but the only way forward is through the awkwardness. Right? Hopefully, soon it’ll stop being awkward or painful.” 

Selene weighed her response and nodded her agreement. It made sense to Yvonne, and gratitude for Selene’s caution swelled in her, but she couldn’t walk on eggshells around her friends. Nor could her friends tiptoe around the ‘Arthur’ topic when she was nearby. They were friends. They’d work together in the Theater Club again, and the only way to make it less painful was to push through. 

“We’re doing a twenty-four-seven power exchange,” Selene said. “My idea, of course.” 

Yvonne furrowed her brow. “What does that involve?” 

“Well, it’s me volunteering to be his slave all day, every day until the end of fall break. Then we’re holding off on the BDSM aspects to be boyfriend-girlfriend for a week, or less, to reset. That part is his idea. I’m dreading it.” 

Yvonne tried to understand. The idea of being someone’s slave in the bedroom, well, she could see the appeal even if she’d never experienced it herself. For Arthur to be the person standing over her, making her kneel? To have him command her to relinquish control of the situation, of herself, to him, while he took responsibility for her pleasure? She had to calm herself down from daydreaming. To do that outside the bedroom? That sounded ridiculous to her. She couldn’t say that to Selene, though. Not when she was trying to mend fences. 

“That sounds… intense,” Yvonne said, settling for the obvious. 

“Yeah,” Selene said. “But I enjoy the intensity.” 

Yvonne chuckled. “Well, that much is obvious.” She gestured to Selene’s costume. “You look like a slave.”  

Selene chuckled with her. “Yeah, guilty. I am his slave, even if I haven’t been a good one. It was wrong of me to push for you to join us or do any penance when he told me no.” 

Her reasoning was strange, but Yvonne had to accept it. “So, no pillory for me?” Yvonne asked. 

“No, it was petty, and more sexual than you realize,” Selene said, shaking her head. “I had no right to ask it.” 

“So why did you?” Yvonne asked. Curiosity prompted her question, and she wanted to know why Selene would risk Arthur’s wrath. “I’m not judging you, but I’m curious. If Arthur isn’t attracted to me, why did you ask me to do something sexual as penance? Are you attracted to me?” 

“Because I—” Selene hesitated, glancing at Arthur. “—I’m fucked up in the head, I guess,” Selene said. “I thought Arthur found you attractive and would enjoy seeing you humiliated and submissive. But it had more to do with what I wanted than with what he wanted. I was projecting.” 

“Projecting your sadism?” Yvonne asked, confused. 

“My attraction to, uh, you,” Selene said, realizing what she was confessing as she said it from the horror that covered her face. “Not that I meant anything by it. I’d never violate my relationship with Arthur, or anything. I just, well, you’re hot.” 

Yvonne’s crimson blush might as well have burned onto her face at that point, growing even hotter than before. “So, you’re attracted to me?” 

“Well,” Selene said, reluctant but honest. “Yeah. Not to make you uncomfortable or anything.” 

“I didn’t realize you were bi,” Yvonne said. 

“I didn’t either,” Selene said. “I’m still experimenting, exploring, and expanding my horizons, but, yeah, objectively, you’re very attractive. You’re pretty, and you have great, uh, assets. I’d be lying if I said today was the first time I imagined angry-fucking you, or tying you down, or up, with or without Arthur.” 

Yvonne gulped. “Oh.” 

“Yeah,” Selene said, frowning. “Sorry if that makes you uncomfortable.” 

“No, no, it’s fine,” Yvonne said, still processing. “It just surprised me. You’ve never flirted with me in Theater Club. Have I been missing cues? Am I that clueless or hetero-focused?” 

“No,” Selene assured her. “And I’d never have mentioned it if not for Arthur and the harem. It’s been a wild time, and I’ve learned so much about sex and myself.” 

“Sounds like it,” Yvonne said. “Does everyone who joins your polycule have to sleep with the other women?” 

“No,” Selene said. “Kat’s straight. Even when we’re doing things in the same room, her focus is on Arthur, not the others. But it’s such a safe space for exploration and experimentation that, well, it’s addicting.” 

“Right,” Yvonne said, doing her best not to picture an Arthur, Selene, Kat, Mindy, Rani, Kelly, and Katelyn orgy. The awkward silence hung between them as embarrassment overtook them. Yvonne didn’t know what to say. She shouldn’t have asked, but curiosity as to how they operated behind closed doors had overridden her hesitation. 

“So, yeah,” Selene said. “I accept your apology for what you did, and I’m sorry for what I did. I’m afraid I wasn’t a good friend to you even before Arthur and I got together.” 

“I wasn’t either,” Yvonne said, nodding. “To you or Arthur.” 

Selene nodded, accepting Yvonne’s statement and not arguing with her over it. She was trying to be better, but progress was a process, not a result. 

“So,” Yvonne offered Selene a handshake. “Friends?” 

“Friends,” Selene agreed, shaking Yvonne’s hand.

Yvonne smiled as she shook Selene’s hand, giving the young woman another look. Selene hadn’t been an object of her desire before, but she’d suggested it. It wasn’t something that could happen. If Arthur didn’t want Yvonne, then he didn’t want his girlfriends playing with her either. So it was best to toss the idea from her mind and move forward. 

Still, that mental image of Arthur between her legs and Selene over her face refused to leave her mind. They shook hands, and Arthur smiled in the distance. The smile made Yvonne’s heart flutter, but she told it to calm down. Friendship. That was what she’d requested. He meant nothing by smiling at them. In fact, he wasn’t even smiling at Yvonne. His smile was for Selene. 

“Okay,” Yvonne said after clearing her throat. “Let’s get back to the others.” 

Selene nodded. She took a sip of water and followed Yvonne, rejoining the group.

~~~

Arthur waited with the others, watching the catapult game with Kelly and Rani on either side of him. Kat stood ahead of them, watching the game. He held a cup of cider in his hands and let it cool through the small mouth hole the travel cup left him. It was too warm outside for hot cider, but the cinnamon-apple flavor helped him relax, even if it contained far too much sugar.

“You had a good time with Selene?” Kelly asked, grinning. “You’ve taken everyone to the bus but me.” 

Arthur put his arm around Kelly and hugged her to him. She cuddled into his side. 

“I wasn’t sure how you felt about period sex, but we’ll spend time together before the day is out,” Arthur said. “What are you doing for dinner?” 

Kelly smiled. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound jealous.” 

“Envious,” Kat and Rani said at the same time. 

Kelly and Arthur laughed. 

“You talked to Selene, though, before you two got distracted?” Kelly asked after they recovered. 

“Yeah,” Arthur said. “We had several good conversations.” At least he hoped they had. Sometimes it was tough to tell how much sank in when he talked to Selene. Not because she was stupid, but because she had a habit of over-fantasizing and misinterpreting. Still, he was confident she’d understood. 

“What did you discuss?” Kelly asked. 

“Her recent violent behavior, Yvonne, and potential temporary partners,” Arthur said. “I did my best to put her on the right track. If it sank in, she’ll do better. I don’t expect an immediate turnaround or total improvement; she’ll have to work at it, but it was a good check-in. A nice break from the master/slave stuff, and now we’re back to it.” 

“Good,” Kat said, looking over her shoulder at them. “What was the result?” 

“She’s going to keep herself in check regarding the violence,” Arthur said. 

“And Yvonne?” Rani asked, looking past Arthur to where Yvonne and Selene stood under the tree, talking close together. 

“She’s apologizing to her now, I hope, and she won’t push for Yvonne to join us or try to torture her anymore,” Arthur said. 

Rani nodded her approval. “Just to check, you don’t want her to join the orgy tonight? Even if Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen are okay with it and she sticks to their rooms?” 

Arthur looked at Rani. “About the orgy, can we talk?” 

“Uh-oh,” Rani said, exchanging a glance with Kat, then Kelly. “What’s wrong, my King?” 

“I’m not sure I’m up to hosting one tonight,” Arthur said. 

“Well, the whole point was to help you relax, to take your mind off things, wasn’t it?” Kelly asked, looking at Arthur. “So if you don’t want one, we don’t have one. It’s simple.” 

Kat shrugged. “I’ve been against it from the start.” 

Rani frowned at the back of Kat’s head. “We don’t have to throw one if you’d rather not. But if it’s just hosting you don’t want, I can take care of that,” Rani said. “I’m not trying to push you one way or the other, though. If you want it to be just us tonight, that’s fine with me. It’ll disappoint Manasa, but I’ll make it up to her.” 

“How?” Kat asked, looking at Rani. 

Rani glanced at Arthur. “Well, I’d tip her well, but I’d offer a weekend with Arthur and me at some point. She can come early when she picks me up for Diwali.” 

“Diwali?” Kelly asked. 

“It’s the Indian New Year, but it’s part of the lunar calendar, so it’s in November, two weeks before Thanksgiving this year. I’d have to check the calendar to be sure,” Rani said. “It’s a big celebration at their temple, and at my parents’ house. They’ll expect me home for the weekend.” 

“Are you going to tell them about the harem?” Kat asked. 

“Yeah,” Rani said, nodding. “Well, I’ll call it a polycule, but yeah. That’s an in-person conversation.” 

“Will they be okay with it?” Arthur asked. 

Rani shrugged. “My Pa Pa goes against the grain. He grew up in an ultra-conservative family, which he rejected, but his big act of rebellion made him millions, so his family came around. He’s very progressive and accepting. Honestly, he’ll be more upset that most of you are white than he will that we’re poly. Not that he’s racist against white people. That’s not to say everyone in my family will be happy or accept us right away, but they accepted my sister when she came out, and me when I did. And hey, they’ll be thankful my promiscuous phase is over.” 

“Are we going with you to Diwali?” Kelly asked. 

“That might overwhelm them,” Rani admitted. “But I’ll send you a calendar invite, just to keep it open if you can. Manasa can drive us to my parents’ house when the time comes. Depending on who’s coming, she’ll either bring the party bus or a town car.” 

Kat chuckled. “Your life sounds so ridiculous. Oh, a town car, or a party bus, same thing.” 

Rani grinned, putting her arm around Kat as they watched the catapults firing. 

Kelly chuckled. “I doubt any of our parents will be as accepting as Deb and George.” She rested her head on Arthur’s shoulder. “But we should tell our parents about this arrangement soon, before Jen’s article comes out, or people on social media say something they shouldn’t. Anonymous or not, people will put things together if we’re the only group of six girls hanging around with one guy.” 

“Well, hopefully Jen keeps it anonymous, as she promised, and no one puts us on blast,” Kat said. “I’m not looking forward to telling my mom, and Selene needs to sort out her shit first.” 

“Her shit?” Arthur asked. 

“Her manic episodes over the whole master/slave thing, and the violence. I know you two talked, and she said she’d keep it in check, but I’m going to need to see it to believe it. She’s said shit before, but she doesn’t always follow through,” Kat said. “If we were to have the conversation with our mom today? I’d have to break up a fistfight.”

“Kyle might come after you,” Kelly said, patting Arthur’s chest. “But I’ll do my best to convince him this is what I want.” 

Arthur chuckled. “I’ve met Kyle. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t let him kill me.” 

“Is my king scared of someone?” Rani asked, surprised. 

“Imagine a male version of Kelly, built like a beefier version of me, with just as much, if not more, boxing experience as Kelly,” Arthur said. “That’s Kyle.” 

“Sounds hot,” Rani said, making Kat laugh. “Oh, speaking of twins, did you know that the tattoo artist who did our matching henna tats has a twin sister?” 

Arthur raised an eyebrow. “No, I didn’t.” 

“Yeah,” Rani said. “I invited them to our orgy tonight, and they both seem interested. So, let me know if you want to cancel it.” 

“Ah,” Arthur said. “Well, that’s…” 

“Cruel?” Kelly asked. 

“Hot?” Kat asked. 

“Mean,” Arthur said, teasing Rani. “They’re really interested?” 

“They want to see Excalibur up close and in person, my king,” Rani said, looking at him with a sultry expression. “And there are others that wanted to, too.” 

“How would an orgy even work?” Arthur asked. “We’re not staying in an enormous suite this time, right?” 

Rani nodded. “I’ve reserved a block of rooms, but no, it’s not a suite. It’s just a floor of the hotel. Four sets of conjoined rooms, so eight rooms total, each with two queen-sized beds.” 

“Wait, what?” Kat asked. “I paid for my share and Selene’s. I thought we just got the two rooms?” 

“We did,” Rani said. “I made the calls and had our rooms put on the top floor. Two rooms with two queens each for the seven of us. Then Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen came along, adding two more rooms. I booked one for Manasa when I orchestrated the surprise with the bus. We’d discussed an orgy, and we paraded at the last hotel, so I booked the other four rooms on the floor. It’s not a big hotel. It’s a good thing I did, too, or Yvonne might not have a place to stay tonight.” 

“So we’ve got eight rooms to fill?” Arthur asked. “Or three, I guess. Three empty rooms.” 

“No,” Rani shook her head. “It’s fine if there are empty rooms. For the orgy, I thought of putting one guy in each room. Mark, Brad, you, and if we found another guy, we could throw him in a fourth room. Or we could let that one be one of us with a strap-on, or a girls-only room. Obviously, the harem will stick with you and the conjoined room to the one you’re in, my king. But Maria, Jen, and any other women we invited would be free to move about the floor, getting involved with whoever they wanted.” 

Arthur gulped, imagining it. He squeezed Kelly, not enjoying the idea of her, Kat, Rani, Mindy, Selene, or Katelyn being with the other guys, or even fucking in front of them. However, was it fair of him to claim the tattoo twins for himself, or Manasa? They should be free to do what they wanted with whomever they wanted, even if a primal part of him felt otherwise.

“What if we just let Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen do their own thing?” Kelly asked. “Then we could do our thing with Arthur, and nothing says we can’t invite Manasa, the tattoo twins, or the girl in the green dress to join us.” 

“Girl in the green dress?” Arthur asked, confused. 

“There’s a girl in a green dress we’ve seen scoping you out a few times,” Kat said. “Mindy wanted to invite her.” 

“We could do that, too,” Rani said. “Though it’s not an orgy, and, well, it feels dickish to hoard the pussy. Besides, I wasn’t sure about Maria and Jen’s involvement, though from what Arthur’s said thus far, I imagine that’s a no? You don’t want to fuck Maria, Jen, or Yvonne, right?” 

Arthur looked around, making sure no one was overhearing them. Everyone else was far enough away that they weren’t in danger of hearing Rani, who kept her voice low enough so that only Kat, Kelly, and Arthur could hear her. 

“Right,” Arthur said. “Nothing against them, they’re very attractive women, but I can’t bring myself to do that to Mark or Brad.” 

Kat scoffed. “Mark is begging you to fuck Maria.” 

Arthur looked at her. 

“Not that I’m encouraging you to do it,” Kat said. “I’m all for keeping the number of other women you sleep with to a minimum. But if you’re holding back because of a bro code with Mark and Brad? Well, I’m not sure that applies. Apparently, you’ve been on Mark’s fantasy list for years.” 

Arthur stared at her, unsure how to process that information. 

“Poor Arthur,” Rani said. “Now you know what it’s like to be a woman.” 

Arthur turned his stare toward Rani, confused. 

“When your guy friends want to fuck you,” Rani said, chuckling. “Just saying.” 

Kat and Kelly chuckled, but Arthur wasn’t sure how to respond. Did they think he wanted to sleep with Kelly or Selene the entire time he knew them? They were attractive, sure, but he never would have done anything with them while he was with Lori. It wasn’t as if he’d been waiting for an opportunity or an excuse. Heck, Selene and Kelly both had a heck of a job convincing him to keep things casual, which was the only way the harem formed. 

“Relax,” Kelly whispered in his ear. She kissed his cheek. “No one thinks you’re a creep. We don’t think Mark is one either. He’s just bi, but it’s okay that you’re not, and you don’t have to sleep with anyone new, even if we take part in an orgy tonight. You choose your partners. No one else.” 

Arthur relaxed at that, squeezing her with his arm. “It’s like you can read my mind.” 

“No, silly, but I can read your face sometimes,” Kelly said. “You’re very expressive.” 

“Think about what you want to do,” Rani said. “And let me know.” 

Arthur nodded. “I know I don’t want to host it. But if you’re the hostess for the evening, I might participate. Each guy in his own room, but my girls stick with me, or us and guests, while our friends do their thing.” 

“As you wish, my king,” Rani said. “I’ll make the arrangements.” 

“So the orgy is on?” Kat asked. 

They looked at Arthur, waiting for his decision. 

“When do I have to make the call by?” Arthur asked. 

“Probably by the end of the adults-only event after the Faire,” Rani said. “So you’ve got time.” 

“Okay,” Arthur said. “I’ll let you know.” 

“The sooner the better,” Rani said. “Even if it’s a no.” 

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Arthur said, sipping his cider. He raised his cup to Katelyn and Maria as they emerged from the line where they’d been aiming and throwing their catapults. 

“I won!” Katelyn said, wiggling her hips in a happy dance. “Did you see, Kelly? Arthur? I won!” 

“I saw!” Kelly and Arthur said. They laughed. “Congrats!” 

“Thanks!” Katelyn said, hugging Arthur’s other side. “Now all I have to do is defeat Kat, and I’ll be in your bed tonight.” 

“Oh, nice,” Arthur said, chuckling. “I promise not to snore too much.” 

Katelyn chuckled. “Please, like we’ll get any sleep.” 

Arthur raised his eyebrows. 

“I mean, if that’s what you want, I was just trying to be cute,” Katelyn said. She blushed, turning pink and nearly matching her dress.

“Sorry, it just surprised me,” Arthur said, chuckling. “I didn’t realize you felt so neglected.” 

“Not neglected,” Katelyn said, shaking her head. “But I’m making up for lost time here; everyone else has known you longer, and you’ve been on dates with them. You and I haven’t had one yet other than lunch.” 

Arthur stopped. “That’s right. We haven’t even gone over your checklist. We’ve been playing it as we go.” 

Katelyn nodded. “Well, if I win, we could have dinner together tonight and go over it?” 

“Not gonna happen,” Kat said, cracking her knuckles. “You’re going down.” 

Katelyn giggled as Mindy joined them. “Oh, don’t worry, I’m ready for you, Pussycat.”

“What’s the last match?” Kat asked, looking at Kelly. “Please tell me it’s wrestling.” 

“Well, I was thinking of having it be more like a scavenger hunt,” Kelly said. “If we have enough time.” She checked her phone and looked at Arthur. “Is that okay?” 

“I’d recommend a buddy system,” Rani said. “I’ll help Kat.” 

“I’ll help Katelyn!” Mindy said, throwing her hand in the air. “Is that okay?” 

“Yeah, I’ll take all the help I can get,” Katelyn said, chuckling. 

“But Arthur and Kelly can’t help us,” Kat said. “That wouldn’t be fair.” 

“Okay,” Katelyn agreed. 

“That’s okay with me,” Arthur said. “I was thinking about going to see a bard show.” 

“I’ll join you,” Kelly said. 

“What’s going on?” Brad asked as he and the others approached from one direction, and Yvonne and Selene approached from the other. 

“The final stage of the tournament is a scavenger hunt,” Katelyn said. “I have to find the things before Kat does?”

Kelly nodded. “Okay, ground rules: Selfies don’t count unless someone else is in the picture with you, not one of the harem or friends.” 

“Fine,” Kat grunted. 

“Whoever gets the item off the list checked off first gets the point for that item,” Kelly said. 

Everyone nodded their understanding. 

“I’ll judge, but upload the pics to the chat as you take them. Try your best not to disrupt the other Faire goers, okay?” Kelly looked at both of them to drive the point home. 

“Of course,” Katelyn said, nodding her agreement. “What’s the list?” 

“I’ll send it to the chat in three, two, one, go!” Kelly said, hitting send on her phone. The harem chat lit up with the photo of the scavenger hunt list. 

Wifey’s Ren Faire Scavenger Hunt

May the best wench win!

A grumpy owl.

A mermaid tail.

A fairy. 

A knight of the realm.

A redhead in a chainmail bikini. 

A Disney Princess

A Turkey Leg

A medieval instrument (of music)

A medieval instrument (of torture)

A noble lady

An ignoble lady (wench)

An unseelie fey

An anachronistic cosplay

“The birds of prey display is this way!” Rani said, pointing and grabbing Kat’s hand. “Come on!” 

“What if you had won?” Mindy asked. “You’d have had a massive advantage in knowing the list ahead of time.” 

“We would’ve done a different challenge,” Kelly said. “Now go! You have no time! First one to get seven out of thirteen wins the tournament!” 

Rani and Kat ran off in one direction while Mindy and Katelyn ran off in the other. Selene, Yvonne, Kelly, Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen remained. 

“Should I go with one of them?” Selene asked. 

“No, you stay close,” Arthur said, gesturing to his side. “Show me your water bottle.”  

Selene moved to stand beside him, though not as close as Kelly, who cuddled up to him while standing. She showed Arthur the water bottle, proving that she’d taken several sips of it.  

“The rest of you are staying hydrated, right?” Arthur asked. 

“Of course,” Kelly said. “I’ll send a message to the girls reminding them not to neglect their hydration during the scavenger hunt.” 

“Good idea,” Arthur said. 

“A scavenger hunt sounds fun,” Yvonne said. “Do you guys want to do it even though we’re not competing in their tournament?” 

Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen looked at each other. 

“What’s the list?” Jen asked. 

Kelly sent them the image. 

“Oh, that’s fun,” Maria said, looking at Mark. “What do you think? One last quest for the day?” 

“Sounds good to me,” Mark said. 

“What about you, Arthur?” Yvonne asked, looking at him for his answer. 

“You have fun,” Arthur said. “I’m gonna sit and enjoy one of the musical shows.”

Yvonne nodded. “Okay.” She looked at the other members of the theater club. “Are we competing? Splitting off in pairs?” 

“That leaves you the odd man out,” Maria pointed out. 

“Oh, right,” Yvonne said, frowning. 

“May I join Yvonne’s team?” Selene asked. “That way, you and Kelly can have one-on-one time?” 

Arthur looked at Kelly, who was waiting for his answer. He looked back at Selene, then Yvonne, who nodded. 

“Okay,” Arthur said. “But stay hydrated and stay in touch. Call me if anything goes wrong, and—” he looked at Yvonne. “That’s assuming everything’s okay between you two? How did your conversation go?” 

“We’re good,” Yvonne said, nodding. 

“I forgave her, she forgave me,” Selene said. “And we’ll do our best to be friends again.” 

“That’s a good start,” Arthur said. “Just don’t let the competition go to your head, okay?” 

“Yes, my lord,” Selene said. 

“I was talking to Yvonne,” Arthur said, grinning. “Don’t get too competitive with them.” 

Yvonne grinned. “You’re not the boss of me, so no promises. Come on, Selene, we’re going to make them eat our dust!” 

Selene chuckled and headed off with Yvonne in the direction Selene and Arthur had arrived from. Brad and Jen left the same way Katelyn and Mindy had. Mark and Maria waved and split off toward the royal pavilion. Arthur and Kelly stood alone in the lanes, with his arm around her and the late afternoon sun inching toward the horizon. 

“Music, you said?” Kelly asked. “There are a few different options. Which one did you want to see?” She showed him the list. 

Arthur reviewed the list, marveling at the creativity of the group names. It put Caleb’s band to shame. “There are a few bawdy options. Are you in the mood for sea shanties? They’ve got a group called The Naughty Gals.”

“What does that have to do with pirates and shanties?” Kelly asked, confused as she read the list. The program indeed listed them as a piratical music act. 

“The Naughty Gals,” Arthur repeated. “Nautical, get it?” 

Kelly groaned.

Arthur laughed. “That’s dad-tier level jokes right there.” 

“That joke is such a dad joke it almost made me pregnant,” Kelly said. “Come on, let’s hope their musical skills are better than their name.” 

Arthur laughed again, walking with Kelly toward the theater on the map. “I wouldn’t count on it.”

~~~

Rani kept hold of Kat’s hand as they moved through the crowded parade of customers and costumes at the Faire. Her jingling drew attention to the bangles, bracelets, and chains on her wrists and ankles, and to the dangling jewelry around her neck, ears, and head. Sound turned heads, but she and Kat kept their attention with how they looked. More than one couple rubbernecked as they passed. Rani recalled the meme of the sexy woman, the rubbernecking man, and the angry girlfriend, which made her laugh. 

Rani’s good mood spread to her captive, Kat, as they rushed from the catapults toward the birds of prey enclosure. She remembered passing it near the mermaid tank, and if it was near the Fairy Tea Shoppe, they could clear three pics from the list in quick succession. They had a crowd to push through first, and the shops, displays, shows, and pubs forced the crowds to stall and mingle. 

They kept holding hands because it was the only way to make sure they stayed together. Rani led the way with a decent sense of direction. The stamped path beneath them was matted with footprints, packing it down so that no dust rose as they walked as fast as possible. They wove through colorful costumes and small groups. Some acknowledged them, and others didn’t. 

Between Rani’s concubine costume and Kat’s tattered miniskirt and one-strap cropped jungle bikini top, they showed more skin than the average Faire-goer. She’d expected more harassment over the course of the day, but she hadn’t had to reach for the pepper spray in her camera bag, or even threaten it. Mindy had gotten the worst of it with the asshole, Mike. Otherwise, Faire folk had gawked at most, and many weren’t phased in the slightest. It was a great feeling to feel sexy and confident in her veil-covered bikini, without worrying about prudes or creeps.

“Can we slow down?” Kat asked, struggling to keep up with her. “I have to take short steps in this skirt.” 

“Fuck that. Flash the world if you have to, you’re winning this thing,” Rani said.   

“And I thought I was the competitive one,” Kat said, chuckling as Rani increased her speed. 

“Shit! Seriously, Rani, red light.” Kat said, pulling back. 

Rani slowed, laughing at herself. “Sorry.” 

They came to a stop, and Kat fixed her skirt. “No, don’t apologize. I want to win, but not at the cost of my dignity.” 

“Dignity, huh?” Rani said, letting her amused smile shine through the veil covering the lower half of her face. “I’ve seen you do some pretty undignified things.” 

“Shut up,” Kat said, feigning her anger. Rani could tell she was faking because of the smile tugging at the corners of Kat’s pretty lips. 

“Make me, Brat,” Rani said, teasing her back. 

Kat stuck her tongue out at Rani and, having fixed her skirt, took Rani’s hand. “Okay, let’s go.” 

Rani gripped Kat’s hand as Kat took off, launching them back into the fray through the crowds. 

“Keep an eye out for anachronistic cosplays and the other items on the list,” Kat said. 

“Like that one?” Rani asked. She pointed at a man in a Captain America cosplay, complete with a shield. There was no attempt to make the costume Renaissance-themed whatsoever. He was a handsome guy in his twenties, with blonde hair and blue eyes, wearing the Avengers version of Captain America's uniform. 

“Perfect!” Kat said. “Go ask him if we can take his picture.” 

“What?” Rani asked, looking at her. “Why do I have to ask?” 

“Because you’re fearless, and guys can’t say no to you,” Kat said. 

Rani paused. “That was dangerously close to a compliment.” 

“Just go!” Kat said, prodding her. 

Rani laughed. “Okay, okay, geez.” Rani laughed as she crossed the lane, while Kat followed a few steps behind, their hands untethered. 

Cap, for all his looking around him, didn’t notice Rani until she was two paces away from him, despite her direct approach. 

“Hi!” Rani said, bright and cheerful. 

Cap looked surprised to see her. He looked behind him, as if she must be speaking to someone else. 

“My friend wants to take a picture with you,” Rani said, gesturing to Kat behind her. “Is that okay? Would you be willing to pose with her?” 

“Oh, sure,” the man relaxed. This wasn’t the first time someone had asked him. Rani assumed he must have had a dozen people ask him, though most of them had probably been kids happy to see their hero. He straightened as he looked past Rani to Kat. 

Rani gestured for Kat to step forward. 

“Do I need to be in the picture?” Kat asked, glaring at Rani as she stepped forward. 

“Yes,” Rani said. “Now, scoot.” She swiped for Kat’s ass, coming nowhere near it, and Kat stepped forward and turned so that she was standing next to Captain America. 

His pose exposed him as an amateur, but he’d practiced holding his shield and setting his chin just so. Rani raised her camera and took a shot. “Smile, Kat.” 

Kat frowned extra-hard out of spite, which made Rani smile. She snapped another photo and laughed, showing it to Cap and Kat on her camera. 

“Okay to post?” Rani asked. 

The man nodded. “Of course! But do you want to take another? I think maybe the timing was off.” 

Calling Kat’s forceful frown a matter of timing was generous. 

“No, it’s fine,” Kat said.

“Oh, okay,” Cap said, confused. 

“Thank you so much!” Rani said. 

“Come on,” Kat said, pulling Rani away. “Let’s go.” 

“Hold on,” Rani said. “I have to send this to the group chat.” 

Kat sighed as Rani fiddled with her camera. 

“So, your name’s Kat?” Cap asked. 

Kat nodded. “I’m Kat, she’s Rani.” 

“Steve,” Cap said. “I know that’s the character’s name, but I swear it’s my name. I can show you my ID.” 

Kat shook her head. “I believe you.” 

“I like your costumes,” Steve said, gesturing to Kat’s. “Did you make it?” 

“No, my boyfriend bought it for me,” Kat said. “Well, he bought it for his ex, but he still had it.” 

“Oh, that sounds, uh, complicated,” Steve said, chuckling. “My wife has something like it, a Sheena, Queen of the Jungle cosplay. She wore it to Comic-Con, but no one got it. We both wore more Ren-Faire-themed garb there, so we thought we’d wear Comic-Con gear here. She’s more into this stuff than I am, but it’s fun, right?”

Kat shrugged.  

“Done!” Rani said, smiling as the notification pinged on Kat’s phone. “Thanks again, Steve,” Rani said. “Are you a professional cosplayer?” 

“We don’t have time for small talk,” Kat said, tugging on Rani’s arm again. 

“Oh, sorry, she’s right, thanks again!” Rani said as Kat tugged her away. 

A tall, athletic redhead in a Black Widow costume approached Cap with two baskets of pierogies as Rani and Kat walked away. Rani imagined he’d have to explain why two young women in skimpy costumes were chatting him up and hoped they hadn’t caused him a problem. He seemed nice and did his best to keep his eyes respectful despite the obvious temptations before him. 

“Hurry,” Kat said, back to her impatient self. “Let’s win this thing.” 

Rani quickened her pace, doing her best to keep pace with Kat, who was power-walking instead of taking longer strides. If she exaggerated the movements, it’d be reminiscent of Marvin the Martian from Space Jam. However, self-preservation prevented Rani from pointing out the similarities. Still, she allowed herself a quiet laugh at the comparison. 

The scavenger hunt was a fun idea, for sure, but Rani regretted that it was part of the tournament. Competition was new to the harem. Pitting them against each other violated their rules, which encouraged cooperation over competition. But this was just for fun, not for their relationship. 

It helped keep things balanced between them that they weren’t competing for Arthur’s sole attention. The tournament prize was a matter of sleeping arrangements, and so far, it’d been fun. The tournament had been a beacon of fun during a long, confusing day. Whatever the deal with Angela and Angie was, Rani was glad it was behind them. 

She once prided herself on thriving in chaos, but even she couldn’t handle the chaos of a dozen people, their exes, and their constant mood swings. Not that she was complaining about having half a dozen lovers within reach. Well, less since Kat wasn’t into women. 

Rani glanced at Kat as they walked, ignoring the surrounding crowd. Kat was the most jealous of the group and the most prone to envy. Fuck, when they first met, Kat had raged to find her in Arthur’s apartment. She’d given Rani flashbacks to one of the worst moments in her life. It had soured her on the whole arrangement after her night with Arthur and Mindy, but Arthur sorted it out. He always did. 

They bustled their way through the Faire, and Rani did her best not to follow the smells that tugged at her nose. Fried dough was one hell of a siren song. They passed the shops and booths that threatened to distract them with baubles and neat toys. Kat almost lost Rani at the woodwork table that had dice trays, but a firm tug reminded her of their mission.  

“Okay,” Kat said, slowing as they reached the birds of prey building.

The barn-shaped structure had screens that divided the stalls as people walked through it. Plentiful signage warned against touching, tapping, or otherwise agitating the small predators. The nameplates on each half-wall, half-screen door identified the bird’s name and its species in both common and scientific terms. The roosts in the center held the birds. Each had its own room and toys in its enclosure, giving them space to breathe, even if there wasn’t room to fly. 

As adorable as birds were, Rani appreciated the talon-toed creatures from a distance and had no desire to hold one. A gray-haired woman walked around, dressed in leather and holding a hooded falcon on her gloved arm. 

“Hello!” she said cheerily. “Have you come to learn about our birds?” 

The barn saw plenty of traffic, but a large group left as they entered, so there weren’t many other bystanders. 

“Kind of,” Rani admitted. “We’re on a photo scavenger hunt, and need a picture of a grumpy owl.” 

“A grumpy owl?” the falconer asked. “That’s a mood, right? Not a breed even I don’t know about?” She laughed to show she was kidding.

Rani laughed. “Yeah, I guess Kelly, my girlfriend who set up the scavenger hunt, must have seen one of your owls and thought they looked grumpy? Kind of like Kat.” Rani pointed her thumb toward Kat, who turned to look at her at the mention of her name. The frown on her face made the falconer bite her lip to keep from laughing. 

“Well, we have Hoottress,” the falconer said. She pointed to the screened-in enclosure. “She’s our Great Horned Owl. Not grumpy, but very judgmental.” 

Rani and Kat peered into the enclosure to see a great, fluffy owl with feathers on top of her head shaped like great horns. She squatted on her roost, puffing her feathers out as she watched them. Her sharp talons stretched as she adjusted her weight. 

“Short and grumpy,” Rani said, looking at the owl. She looked at Kat. Then at the owl. Then at Kat. “Uncanny.” 

“Hilarious,” Kat said. She looked from Rani to the falconer, who was setting the bird she carried into their enclosure. “May we take a picture?” 

“Of course! But no flash, please,” the falconer said. 

“Oh, good point,” Rani said as she prepped her camera. She gestured for Kat to move into the photo. Kat begrudgingly stood beside the enclosure and pointed next to her, so it looked like she was pointing at the owl. 

“Would you like me to take the photo so you can be with your friend?” The falconer asked. 

Rani almost corrected her, but didn’t know if Kat would appreciate the title of ‘girlfriend.’ If it had been a different harem member, the words would already be out of her mouth. Since it was Kat, she held back, unsure of what label Kat wanted. “Friend” seemed right, though. She hoped. 

“Be very careful with my baby,” Rani said, handing her camera to the falconer. “I’ve set the settings. All you have to do is push the button.” She showed the falconer the button. 

The woman took the camera and held it carefully. She aimed it the way Rani had, as Rani moved to the other side of the owl and posed for the photo. The owl lengthened, turning to face the falconer as she clicked her tongue, and then snapped the photo. She took two more for safety, then passed the camera to Rani, who examined the results. The alignment was off, with the owl off-center, but Rani could fix that with an edit. 

“Thanks!” Rani said.

“Thank you,” Kat said. “And thanks, Hoottress.” 

The owl hooted, either in recognition of Kat’s gratitude or of her name. Either way, it startled Kat and made Rani laugh. “Smart owl.” 

“They’re the wisest of the birds,” Kat said. “At least in fairy tales.” 

Rani chuckled and looked at the falconer. “Any truth to that?” 

The falconer shrugged. “Hoottress is smart, but hawks are more intelligent, and even they have nothing on ravens.” 

“So why the fuck aren’t ravens more associated with knowledge and stuff?” Rani asked. 

“Athena,” Kat answered.

The falconer pointed at Kat as if she’d answered a question correctly. “That is correct. It’s just marketing from ancient Greece.” 

Rani chuckled. “Okay, I sent the photo. We should grab one with the mermaids since they’re close by, and I haven’t seen any fairies, but isn’t that the tea shop you went to nearby?” 

Kat nodded. “Yeah, it’s close.” 

“Have fun!” the falconer said, sensing their departure as Kat edged toward the door. 

“Has Katelyn sent a photo to the chat yet?” Kat asked. 

“Yeah, it looks like she’s gotten two as well. Noble woman, and Knight of the Realm,” Rani said, checking her phone as she followed Kat out of the building. 

“Damn,” Kat sighed. “Come on, we’re wasting time.” 

“Yes, ma’am,” Rani said, grinning at Kat’s annoyed expression as they hurried to the mermaid tank.

~~~

Kelly checked her phone as she and Arthur walked through the Faire together. The girls were safe with their buddy system and having fun with their scavenger hunt. So far, the day hadn’t been as drama-free as anyone had hoped. She’d wanted Arthur to have the day to relax and enjoy himself. Then Kat had her outburst; Mike plagued Mindy and took a swing at Arthur; Angie turned out to be the Angie; and Yvonne was complicating Selene and Arthur’s lives again. 

They just couldn’t catch a break. 

“How are you doing?” Arthur asked as they walked. 

“I’m okay,” Kelly said, letting the corner of her mouth turn up into a grin. “I’m having fun, for the most part. There’s been a few interruptions.” 

“Yeah, sorry,” Arthur said. 

“Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault. If anything, you’ve been the one fighting the fires,” Kelly said, and she meant it. 

“Well, my blowing up and nearly punching Angie in the face was my fault,” Arthur said, making a joke of it. 

Kelly chuckled. “Okay, yes, you may apologize for that.” 

“Thank you,” Arthur said. 

“For my part, I’m sorry I didn’t realize who she was sooner,” Kelly said. As uncontrollable as the situation was, she considered it her fault that Angie and Arthur had come face to face. If she’d been more on her guard, if she’d checked into Angie’s past and identity before bringing her along shopping, she could have prevented the entire fiasco.

“How could you have known?” Arthur asked. “Heck, with the extra weight and the years, even I had difficulty recognizing her.” 

“Yeah, but we could have avoided the unpleasant drama if I’d known,” Kelly said. “We never would’ve spent time with her if we’d known who she was. Her stories wouldn’t have drawn me in if I’d known. She was just so sad and vulnerable, and her baby was so cute, I just—I’m sorry I ever talked to her.” 

“Don’t worry,” Arthur said. “It’s not your fault.” 

Kelly nodded, and they fell silent as they walked toward their theater destination. The smells distracted her as they passed through a section of food stalls. Roasted turkey legs, sawdust, grass, lake water, and fried dough tickled her nose. She looked at Arthur, but the mood on his face had shifted. Shame and guilt for bringing up the unpleasant topic smacked her. 

“I shouldn’t have brought it up,” Kelly said, sighing. “I’m sorry.” 

“No, it’s okay,” Arthur said. “Honestly, I was just thinking that, well, it’s good that I ran into Angie again. Cathartic. In a way. It might take a few days, but I’m sure we’ll be better for everything that’s happened today.” 

Kelly squeezed his hand, and Arthur returned the squeeze, interlacing his fingers with hers. 

“Now, no more apologizing for things we can’t change and weren’t our faults,” Arthur said. “Let’s enjoy ourselves.” 

Kelly nodded, agreeing with her whole heart. “Yes, sir.” 

They arrived at the Saltwine Theater, which surprised Kelly with its overall shape. A thick cluster of trees hid the Saltwine Theater from the main path. The structure was an outdoor tavern with a theater stage, but built like a pirate ship, its hull sinking into the earth as if it were floating on water. The ship was red and black, with the deck acting as a second story. A curtain covered a broad, rectangular hole in its hull, hiding three-quarters of the stage that lurked within the ship. 

“Wow,” Kelly said, staring open-mouthed at the ship. It wasn’t to scale, but it looked authentic enough. “That’s not an actual ship, right?” 

“No, but it’s built like one. It’s awesome,” Arthur said. “Did you not know this was here?” 

“Well, you can’t see it from the lake path,” Kelly said. “You knew?” 

“Yeah, but I’ve been here before,” Arthur said. 

“Why did they hide it?” Kelly asked, looking back and forth between it and the path. 

“Most of the adult-only shows are here.” Arthur looked behind them to see the path winding through the trees, blocking his view of the rest of the Faire. They could have seen it if they’d known to look for it. Otherwise, the signs just said ‘Saltwine Tavern’ and ‘Saltwine Theater’ with an arrow pointing in the right direction. Nothing said: ‘Life-size-ish replica pirate ship this way.’ The map showed a drawing of one in this spot. She’d thought it was an embellishment of a pirate-themed tavern. After all, there wasn’t a sea monster in the lake either, as far as she knew. 

“That explains it,” Kelly said, chuckling. “Wow.”

“Let’s get a table,” Arthur said. “The show starts soon, right?” 

“You get the table,” Kelly said, patting his chest. “I’ll get us something to drink and something to eat while I’m at it. Do you want another turkey leg?” 

“No,” Arthur said. “I’m okay food-wise.” 

“No, you’re not,” Kelly said. “You always eat far too little. If you want gains, you need calories.” 

“Yes, dear,” Arthur said, kissing her cheek. “Surprise me.” 

“Yes, dear,” Kelly said. 

Arthur patted her butt as she walked away toward the bar. He claimed a table closer to the stage than Kelly would have chosen, but not in the front row, which was acceptable to her. Besides, there was a gap between the front row of tables and the stage itself, where she imagined portions of the show might take place. 

The line at the bar was short, giving Kelly time to read the colorful chalkboard menu behind the bar. The drinks were pirate-themed, offered the standard Faire food, and the pirate-themed wench behind the bar was quick to offer her a smile. 

“Aye, what’ll it be, Captain?” 

“Can I get an order of scotch eggs?” Kelly asked. “A glass of Redbeard’s Red, and a glass of your Coconut Whiskey?” 

“Sure thing, Captain! I’ll just need to see your mark.” 

Kelly turned her wrist to show the 21+ stamp, and the bartender nodded. She paid and stepped aside to wait for her drinks. A few people dressed to the theme, but a few were misfits, in garb that played to other themes. There weren’t any children here, though. This place was a haven from them, even though they’d love the pirate ship. Knowing as many as she did, she understood why the Faire hid it from them. The instinct to climb it flared in Kelly’s bones, to climb to the deck, grab the helm, and play pirates as she sailed the seas of imagination. She barely managed to overcome the impulse, yet she was a responsible adult.

The drinks came first, and the bartender set them down before her on the counter. Redbeard’s Red was a thin red wine, from what she could see. Her shock must have shown when the bartender sprinkled a pinch of salt into the glass and swirled it. 

“Did you just—?” 

“Aye, mistress,” the woman said. “It’s how we serve the wine here, trust me, it adds something to the flavor.” 

Kelly strongly suspected that the ‘something’ was saltiness, but she tried to keep an open mind. To her, it was an abomination to ruin a glass of good red wine. 

The whiskey glass came next, and Kelly took both of them to Arthur’s table. The small round table looked like a wooden circle placed atop a barrel, which was cute. Arthur had moved the chairs together. They faced the stage side by side, which she appreciated. She set the wine in her place and placed his whiskey before him. 

“I got you the coconut whiskey,” Kelly said. “It seemed appropriate.” 

Arthur chuckled, lifting the glass and giving it a sniff. He made an optimistic expression and sipped it, smacked his lips, and smiled as he set it on the table, leaving his fingers around the glass. “This is delicious.” 

Kelly smiled, relieved as she set her bag on her chair. “I’m glad. I’m nervous about the wine. They put salt in it.” 

“Aren’t you going to sit?” Arthur asked. 

“I ordered food,” Kelly said. “I’m not sure if they'll bring it to us.” 

“Oh, fair point,” Arthur said, looking around. 

The staff members Kelly saw were behind the bars. She saw no waitresses or waiters to bring them their food or drink. Around them, other patrons, couples, and small groups with a few lone singles sprinkled in, ferried their own food and drinks.

The growing crowd of patrons filled the other tables as they spread out, and they ranged in age, shape, and every other aspect, including costumes. Precious few of them wore normal clothes, and Kelly was glad she’d dressed up despite the instinct to go in jeans today. Her boots were sexy, her skirt was cute, her corset was slimming, and her hat was awesome. 

“Sit, I’ll grab the food,” Arthur offered. 

“I’m the one who ordered it. They might not give it to you,” Kelly smiled and patted his shoulder. “But thank you.” 

Kelly kissed his cheek and strode back to the bar, freed from the weight of her bag, now sitting under Arthur’s watchful eye. She didn’t have to wait long before the wench brought her the eggs. She grabbed two sets of plastic cutlery and ferried the basket of scotch eggs back to their table. There weren’t many, but the large sausage-wrapped eggs were filling. There was enough to share among four halves.   

“We’re splitting these, right?” Arthur asked.

“Of course,” Kelly said, moving her bag to the floor and sitting in her seat beside him. 

“Good,” Arthur said. “I can’t eat these by myself.” 

Kelly grinned. “Of course not, Dear.” He could, but she wouldn’t make him. She’d take a few nibbles and hope to trick his aversion to eating in front of other people into finishing the rest.

She adjusted her skirt and settled into her chair, leaning toward Arthur. He leaned toward her and raised his glass to clink against hers. “To a lovely time with my lovely Wifey.” 

Kelly raised her glass and clinked it against his. “To a lovely day, with my hubby.” 

They drank, and Kelly found the taste of her wine surprising, intriguing, and pleasant. It wasn’t what she’d expected, but it had a pleasant aftertaste, much like the effect of salt in taffy or caramel. 

“How’s your wine?” Arthur asked. 

“It’s good,” Kelly said. “Do you want a sip?” 

“I’m okay,” Arthur said, shaking his head. “Do you want a sip of my whiskey?” 

“No,” Kelly said. “Maybe later. I’m not sure the flavors will blend well.” 

“One way to find out,” Arthur said, leaning over and kissing her. 

Their lips met, and Kelly closed her eyes as she savored the press of his lips against hers. She opened her mouth for the kiss, relaxing and letting him lead the dance. The flavors on his lips and tongue were different from those lingering in her mouth, but pleasant. She enjoyed the taste of his coconut whiskey more than she did that of her salted wine. 

“I think I’ll try the coconut whiskey myself, after I finish this glass,” Kelly said, smiling as they pulled apart. 

“My lord, my lady,” a voice said, drawing Kelly’s attention to her right. 

A young African-American man stood dressed in Elizabethan garb. He stared at Arthur in half-shock, half-confusion. 

Arthur sat straighter in his chair. “Lord Hatton,” Arthur said. “It’s good to see you!” 

Kelly looked between them, then it clicked. “Oh! You’re Dave! Selene’s ex!” 

“I know not this Dave of whom you speak, my lady. My name is Christopher, Sir Christopher Hatton, of Her Majesty’s court.” 

“Oh, right,” Kelly said, looking between them again. “You’re in character. Sorry.” 

Hatton smiled at Kelly and winked at her. “Fear not, it pains me to inform thee, though, my lady, that thou art beside a rogue and a knave!” 

Kelly raised an eyebrow, looking at Arthur. They’d met, right? Weren’t they theater friends? Or were they enemies? Was this more drama? Was Dave upset because Arthur and Selene were together now? No, not on her watch. They were here to have a good time. If Dave thought hiding behind a character could protect him from Kelly telling him off, he was wrong. She shifted in her seat, ready to launch herself between them if necessary. 

“Did thou, or did thou not, serve as the unseelie queen’s champion?” Dave asked, looking at Arthur. 

Arthur laughed, and Kelly relaxed. It was only part of his in-character banter.  

“Oh, I did,” Arthur confirmed. “But one of your knights defeated me, Sir Hatton, so don’t worry. I’ve learned the error of my ways. Though not every knight on your side proved honorable.”

“Yes, that was unfortunate,” Hatton said. “We had warned him against such actions. I hope he did not harm thee?” 

“He didn’t,” Arthur said, assuring him. “And he wasn’t waiting in the parking lot, so we’re fine. And if he is now, well—” 

“I’ll take care of him,” Kelly said, cracking her knuckles for effect. 

Arthur patted her hand, holding it and making her unclench her fist. 

Dave looked at their hands, then back at Arthur with a questioning expression. Then he turned toward Kelly and smiled at her. 

“Ah, a brave pirate captain, here to steal Her Majesty’s magnificent ship?” Hatton asked, gesturing to the ship/building/stage behind him. 

“I’m considering it,” Kelly said, looking past him as she crossed her legs under the table. “It is magnificent, and red is very much my color.” 

“Well, if it’s not here tomorrow, we’ll know who to blame,” Hatton said, wagging his finger disapprovingly at Kelly.

Kelly grinned and did her best to form an innocent expression as she brought her glass to her lips and sipped her wine. Her smile spoiled it, but Dave and Arthur played along.   

“We didn’t know you’d be here, serving in Her Majesty’s court, I mean,” Arthur said. “We’re here with the Theater Club. If you have time after the day has ended and you’re released, I’m sure everyone would like to say hello. I’m not sure where the stage door is, but our group will be here for the after-hours events too, if you’re not still working with Her Majesty’s Court during that.” 

He nodded. “I’ve seen the others of thine band hereabouts: Captain Nightwing and the Huntress, one called Mark, and another called Maria. But I’ve yet to meet your Rapunzel, her sister, or Cinderella, whom I spied at the chess match. I did not recognize the others.”  

“Rapunzel?” Kelly asked, confused. It clicked in her head after she asked. “Oh, Selene, because of the hair. Gotcha. They’re off doing a scavenger hunt, Lord Hatton. She’s teamed up with Cinderella to collect photos, so we thought we’d enjoy one of the musical acts.” 

“Ah, a fine choice! The nautical wenches put on an amusing, if bawdy, display!” Lord Hatton said. “I’ll leave thee to thy revelry, but take care not to steal our ship!” He wagged his finger at Kelly again. “Good morrow to ye!” 

He bowed and departed, leaving Arthur and Kelly alone once more. He moved on to speak with another person in costume that Kelly recognized as having fought for Queen Elizabeth during the chess match. 

“He seems nice,” Kelly said, looking at Arthur. “I thought I might have to yell at him if he started on you about your dating Selene.” 

“I think he was more confused to see you and me together,” Arthur said, sipping his drink again. “But I wouldn’t worry about it. Dave’s a great guy. He and Selene just weren’t right for each other.” 

“I’m so good at worrying, though,” Kelly said, looking behind her once more. 

“Kelly,” Arthur said, holding her hand and drawing her attention to him. “Everything’s okay. Relax. You’re with me, and we’re having a good time. No need to worry about the others, or Dave, or anyone.” 

“Yes, Sir,” Kelly said. She gave him a quick peck on the lips, but that was all they had time for as the music started. 

“Good evening, gentlefolk!” A feminine voice on stage called out. “I am Red Jenny, captain of this vessel, and we are The Naughty Gals!” she introduced the others who followed her onto the stage. Each of them carried an instrument. The fiddler, Colleen Corsair; the bodhran drummer, Deanna Sly; the guitarist, Sera Silver-Eye; and the concertina player, Malinda Fox, made up the band.   

Their costumes were risque, but not as scanty as Kelly expected. They wore hose that matched the shade of their natural skin color under the bloomer shorts they wore, or the leotard the captain wore. Her red leotard glittered and sparkled, with tassels hanging from her hips to form a skirt that spread with every movement. Her red leotard disappeared beneath a red corset, and a black scarf with a tricorn hat covered her red hair. The others wore corsets, bodices, and off-the-shoulder peasant tops with their ruffled shorts, and every one of them wore knee-high pirate boots. 

“A word of warning before we begin!” the captain cried. “This show is raunchy, bawdy, lewd, and all-around fun!” 

A cry of cheer arose from the band and the audience. 

“So if there be any wee ones amongst you, best get ye gone!” Red Jenny said. “Otherwise, any parents in the crowd will have very uncomfortable conversations and be forced to answer awkward questions!” 

Laughter from the crowd rippled around them as Kelly looked around. She didn’t see any underage people, nor did Red Jenny, because she started the show. 

“Alright, girls, assume the position for our first number!” Red Jenny cried, raising her cutlass. 

The other band members turned their backs to the crowd, then bent over, though their shorts covered their behinds. The crowd laughed again, and the girls began an a cappella number entitled “Look Don’t Touch!” as each one stood, spun, and wove their way into the crowd.

“Please look, but do not touch! There are rules you must obey…” 

The song asked the patrons to enjoy themselves, but to respect the boundaries and not touch or interfere with the girls as they performed their numbers. Certain lines echoed others, becoming raunchy and suggestive lyrics as the girls teased their way through the crowd, drawing close, but never touching the patrons. 

Kelly laughed with the others as the song’s lines became increasingly suggestive. Sera Silver-Eye gave her a wink and blew her a kiss as she passed, making Kelly grin. It was good to know she still had it, even though her costume wasn’t the sexiest among her friends. 

The girls returned to the stage, and another song began. This one was more traditional, and with the instruments involved, the beat soon became danceable. Kelly tapped her foot as she listened to the tune, paying more attention to the words than the music. She couldn’t tell if the acoustics were accidental or genius. The stage cupped the song and sent it back out to them, amplifying it. The speakers balanced their voices with their instruments, with most of the girls singing while they played. 

Music thrummed through the air, bouncing off the trees that acted as a filter, dulling the sounds of passersby, calling vendors, shouting children, and the general populace. The Naughty Gals sang about the motion of the ocean, and everyone was laughing and clapping along while Kelly tapped her feet and longed to dance. She didn’t know why music pumped through her the way it did. She blinked hard and fixed her gaze on the stage, watching the enticing women dance, play, and sing. 

Kelly reached over and found Arthur’s hand without looking for it. His fingers intertwined with hers reflexively, becoming the most comfortable contact. The tension in her shoulders faded, and the blood pumping through her veins became pure joy as the anxiety drained away. Arthur’s warm palm against hers was gentle, but firm. His strength lent her surety and comfort when she could conjure none of her own. 

The world was as it should be. Everything would be okay. All Kelly had to do was enjoy the show and enjoy the day with her hubby.

~~~

Katelyn looped her right arm through Mindy’s left as they walked, keeping hold of her so she didn’t lose her in the crowd. Mindy was shorter than Katelyn, but her conical witch’s hat more than made up the difference. Together, they made quite the contrasting pair, not just because Mindy was short and stacked, while Katelyn was lean and tall. 

Their costumes were opposites as well. A bright pink and rose-covered fairy and a Korean goth witch walked through the Faire arm in arm, and drew surprisingly little attention. Everyone wore what they wanted, being who they wanted to be, and having a good time. It made Katelyn happy. 

That was the only common element between their appearances. They both wore wide smiles and giggled, not at anyone or out of malice or condescension, but out of genuine joy they shared with those around them. 

They were on a quest, and while Katelyn wanted to win the tournament, she didn’t know where to start. “So, where are we going?” Katelyn asked. 

“Well,” Mindy said, looking at her phone. “Kat and Rani are on their way toward the birds for the grumpy owl. Should we start at the other end of the list? Keep your eyes open for anyone in cosplay, but a few of these might be location-based. Let’s make our way to the dungeon exhibit. The museum on the map. Or the stocks. Those qualify as torture instruments, right?” 

“Let’s hit the museum,” Katelyn said. “The stocks might not count since we took those photos earlier.” 

“Okay. We need a fairy, a knight, that Red Sonja lady, a Disney Princess, a noble lady, a wench, an unseelie fey, and an anachronistic.” Mindy said, reading from the list. “That’s eight right there just from crowd-watching.”  

Katelyn smiled. “Do you know what anachronistic means?” 

Mindy opened her mouth, but hesitated. “Something that doesn’t fit in?” 

“Something or someone out of place in time,” Katelyn said. “So, anyone in modern cosplay, or steampunk, or anything not from the Renaissance.” 

“Okay!” Mindy said. “I can do that!” 

Katelyn nodded her approval. “So can I. Let’s see…” She let her eyes scan the crowd. Hundreds of people filled the grounds. The bright afternoon sun illuminated hundreds of costumes, most of which blended or fit the theme of the Faire without crossing into the list. A redhead in a chainmail bikini was the most specific. 

Katelyn’s only problem was the fairy she saw, and the knight and the Disney Princess were kids. She couldn’t snap a photo of a kid she didn’t know, and she felt weird asking the parents. So, she was on the lookout for adults who fit the criteria, which narrowed her options.  

“Look! The queen!” Mindy said, pointing. “She counts for a noble woman, right?” 

“Yeah!” Katelyn said, pointing. “Do we ask, or just snap the photo?” 

“Uh, asking is a good idea,” Mindy said. “How do you feel about selfies?” 

“Well, she said selfies don’t count, right?” Katelyn asked. 

“They don’t count unless someone else is in the photo with you,” Mindy corrected. 

“Right, okay!” Katelyn said. “Can you take a pic of the queen and me?” 

“Yup!” Mindy produced her phone. “Let’s go!” 

Katelyn chuckled, still holding Mindy’s arm as they approached the queen. She walked with her ladies-in-waiting behind and beside her, one of them holding a parasol over her. With them were four guards, though they wore vests and pantaloons rather than suits of armor, and carried halberds instead of swords. 

“Ah, what lovely ladies,” the queen said when they drew close. “And it’s nice to meet a fairy that’s not part of those dreadful unseelie.” 

Katelyn smiled, curtseying. “Excuse me, my queen, but would it be okay if I took a selfie with you?” 

The queen smiled. “Of course! I’ve seen so many of these strange little devices today, I swear everyone has one.” 

Mindy giggled, holding up her phone. 

“Would you like to be in the picture?” The queen asked. 

“I can take it, if you’d like,” one of her ladies-in-waiting stepped forward. 

“Oh, sure,” Mindy said, handing her the phone. She squeezed in on the other side of the queen, careful not to disturb her gown. She flattened her skirt, the panel of black fabric hanging from her high waist to her boots with slits on both sides separating it.

Katelyn bent her knees, putting her hand on her thigh to hold her skirt in place as she leaned in for the photo and smiled. 

The lady-in-waiting smiled, took several snapshots, and handed the phone back to Mindy. 

“Thank you so much,” Katelyn said, smiling at the queen. 

“Of course! I hope you have a pleasant day at the Faire! And don’t bargain with any of those unseelie! Don’t let them steal your souls!” the queen warned her as they departed. 

“Don’t worry!” Mindy said. “We won’t. Unless they have chocolate.” 

“Ooh, that’s right, they have chocolate,” Katelyn said, distracted as the queen despaired for their souls. 

Mindy giggled, and Katelyn joined her. “Oh, look! There’s a joust!”

Katelyn turned her head to follow Mindy’s pointing finger. Sure enough, off the path, there was a fenced-in arena where knights on horseback tilted their lances at each other as the crowd watched. 

“I thought that was later?” Katelyn asked, checking the schedule in a panic. 

“The final joust is at the end of the Faire,” Mindy said, reading her own schedule. “But look! They have multiple jousts throughout the day! It’s a tournament of their own!” 

“Ooo,” Katelyn said. “Wait, isn’t the knight fighting an unseelie? That means we can get two for one!” 

Mindy grabbed Katelyn’s hand. “Come on!” 

Katelyn followed Mindy, neither of them running but walking, until they turned off the path and headed toward the arena. “We can take pictures, right?” Katelyn asked. “They’re doing a show, so we can’t ask first.” 

“Yeah, this is different,” Mindy said. 

Katelyn snapped a photo of the knight on horseback, leveling his lance. Unfortunately, the other knight didn’t appear to be a fey. It was a knight in black armor. The armor had unseelie designs on it, twists of metal that rose from the pauldrons, boots, gauntlets, and helmet, but nothing ‘fairy’ enough to count. 

“Is he unseelie fey?” Katelyn asked. “Or just a black knight?” 

“I don’t know,” Mindy said, shrugging. “We missed the story part.” 

Katelyn frowned. She checked the photo of the knight she had and pulled up the harem chat. Rani had posted a pic of Kat with someone in a Captain America cosplay, striking the anachronistic cosplay off the list. 

“Oh, shoot, we didn’t send the picture of us with the queen!” Katelyn said. “Quick! Send it to the group chat!” 

“Oh, right!” Mindy said, pulling out her phone. She sent the picture of them and the queen while she and Katelyn walked away from the jousting arena. They stood off to the side as they shuffled toward the main path. Katelyn sent the picture of the knight, marking two off the list. A picture of Kat, Rani, and an owl soon followed, prompting Mindy and Katelyn to break into giggles. 

Rani looked so happy. Smiling and pointing at the owl. Kat and the owl had the same annoyed expression in their eyes, looking at the camera as if it had been rude to them. 

“Look at Unnie,” Mindy said, still giggling. “She’s so grumpy!” 

“They had to stage that,” Katelyn said, recognizing the glint of mischief in Kat’s eye. “She’s making that face on purpose to be funny.” 

“How can you tell?” Mindy asked, confused and checking the picture. “I can never tell if Kat’s in a good mood. She’s so hard to read!” 

Katelyn chuckled. “It’s just her sense of humor. I’ve known Kat since I came to college. You know the first thing she said to me?” 

Mindy looked at her, waiting for the story as they walked, heading toward the museum. 

“She said, ‘Shut up and stop crying, it’s just ice cream,’” Katelyn said. She tried to mimic Kat’s deadpan delivery, but she was smiling too much as she said it. 

Mindy raised an eyebrow. “What?” 

Katelyn chuckled. “I had just broken up with my high school boyfriend and went to a volleyball game my freshman year to cheer myself up. That was Kat’s sophomore year, I guess. We saw each other, but didn’t talk until afterward. There was an ice cream truck outside, and almost everyone waited in line for ice cream after the game. I waited so long, and was so upset about the breakup, I just wanted the chocolate soft serve.” 

“Now I want ice cream,” Mindy said, looking around to spot a shop. 

Katelyn laughed, but Mindy was still paying attention. 

“Go on, tell me more about Unnie,” Mindy said. 

“Well, I got my ice cream. I had it in my hand as I stepped away from the truck. But before I could get a lick, this asshole bumped into me and made me drop my cone. Splat. There was no saving it, and I just couldn’t handle it. All the frustrations of breaking up, the loneliness of being away from home, the lack of friends, and the stress from my classes slammed me all at once. I could not stop crying. I sat on the curb and bawled my eyes out.” 

“Aw,” Mindy hugged her, leaving one arm around her waist as they walked. 

“Nobody cared,” Katelyn said. “I didn’t know anyone. Everyone saw me crying, yet no one left their group or tried to comfort me. Except Kat.” 

“It didn’t sound like she was comforting,” Mindy said. 

Katelyn laughed. “You’re only saying that because of what she said. But you know what she did?” 

“Hugged you?” Mindy asked. “That’s what I would have done. Or I’d try to cheer you up by being silly and cute.” 

Katelyn chuckled. “Kat gave me her ice cream.” 

Mindy tilted her hat back in surprise. 

“She was behind me in line,” Katelyn explained. “Kat ordered the same thing I did because it sounded good, and saw what happened. She sat next to me, said that, and passed me her cone. Just like that. A total stranger. She said she didn’t want to wait in line again, but I suspect she didn’t have the money for a second cone. She got defensive when I offered to buy her one, but that’s Kat. Rough around the edges, grumpy, with a short fuse for a short girl, and yeah, she has her insecurities and hides behind her walls. But I’ll fight anybody who says she doesn’t care, or that she’s not kind-hearted.” 

“Wow,” Mindy said. “I mean, Kat’s shown kindness before, but she makes you work for it.”   

“She can be a brat, yeah,” Katelyn admitted. “But heck, the only reason I’m in the harem is that Kat saw I needed friends, and a man who wouldn’t disappoint me. We might tease her sometimes for being straight or inflexible, and she might not be used to sharing, but she offered to share you, Arthur, and everything with me. Kat forgave me for breaking girl-law and going after her boyfriend after my breakup with Sean. She even shares Arthur without trying to keep him for herself. That’s love. So whether she says it or not, she shows it. She loves everyone in the harem, or she wouldn’t be in it, and she sure as heck wouldn’t have invited me.” 

“Hm,” Mindy said, humming. “I know she’s not into girls, but to me, it sounds as if she loves you.” 

Katelyn nodded. “Not every love is sexual, you know?” 

Mindy considered that. 

“I mean, sure, the harem is sexual, but Kat’s love for me, you, and the others is like her love for Selene. She’s everyone’s big sister. That’s why Unnie is such a good nickname.” Katelyn said. 

“Kind of like how Kelly is everyone’s mom?” Mindy asked. 

“Exactly,” Katelyn said, laughing. 

“Oh, look! Ice cream!” Mindy pointed. “Quick break?” 

Katelyn laughed. “Okay, but let’s keep an eye out for any cosplays while we’re in line.” 

“Deal!” Mindy said, grabbing Katelyn’s arm and dragging her toward the ice cream booth.

~~~

“So, what books do you read?” Rani asked as she walked beside Kat toward the mermaid’s stage. 

Kat gave her a questioning look. “Why?”

“Just making conversation,” Rani said. “I realized I know more about the other girls and Arthur. I know you read; you’ve written Jane Austen fan fiction, and a few other tidbits I’ve picked up along the way.” 

“Tidbits?” Kat asked, keeping her eyes up and her head on a swivel to track items off the scavenger hunt list they might take pictures of to put her ahead. 

“Your love for volleyball,” Rani said. “Classical Western literature, I’m guessing? You work at the tutoring center, specializing in English, I assume. So you help people write their papers. You’re a big sister, same as Kelly and me; you grew up poor, unlike me. You’re straight, so unlike me, it’s not even funny, and you have anger issues, like me.” 

“You have anger issues?” Kat asked. 

“Out of the six of us, I’m the one who kneed a guy in the balls,” Rani pointed out. 

Kat chuckled. She’d forgotten Mindy and Rani’s altercation with Sanjay in the cafeteria. It had made the rounds on campus, outing Arthur as dating multiple women. No one had gotten into trouble, not even Sanjay, despite his near-assault on Mindy, but yeah, the result was violence. She wondered how much of Rani’s lack of trouble with security was due to the school’s fear of her family. 

“I forgot you kneed Sanjay,” Kat admitted. “And you’re not a big sister, you’re a middle child.” 

Rani rolled her eyes. “I have younger siblings, so it counts.” 

Kat shook her head. “Nope, but I’ll allow the claim on anger issues.”  

Rani shrugged, making her jewelry jingle. “Mike’s just lucky he was fighting Arthur and not me, you know? I’d have castrated the knave.” 

Kat laughed, then sobered as they reached the canopy of the mermaid tank. A line for pictures with the mermaid bobbing in the tank reached halfway through the canopy. The blue-green mermaid surfaced and looked out over the rim, resting her stomach on the tank wall and leaning out over the children. She waved, then posed with the children for their parents. They stood in front of her tail, below her upper half, facing the camera.  

The entire line was children, each dressed in adorable costumes, some more eager for their photo than others. Their ages ranged from those too young to wait in line without their older sibling to those too old to get their picture taken without their parents’ insistence. 

Kat had flashbacks to waiting in line for her picture with Santa at the mall every year, at her mother’s insistence. Even then, it made little sense to Kat. Most of their family traditions came from her mother’s insistence that they observe them, no matter what. 

Somewhere, in the cupboards of her mother’s house, was a scrapbook cataloging Kat and Selene’s pictures with Santa from birth until Kat was thirteen. That was the year Selene threw a fit until their mother never made them do it again. 

“We should come back later,” Kat said. “There’s a line, and this is for kids.” 

“Or, we get in line. There’s no sign saying kids-only, and we’re allowed to have fun, too. Besides, there are only a few kids ahead of us,” Rani said, stepping forward and standing behind a pair of girls no older than nine. Both dressed as pink princesses, complete with conical hats adorned with long, streaming lace banners. They reminded Kat of that Southern Belle character from Princess and the Frog. Their parents stood off to the side while the musician from the mermaid show took photos and printed them. 

Kat stood next to Rani. She smiled at the girls ahead of them when they glanced behind them. 

“Man, remember Arthur fighting that Merida girl?” Rani asked. “I swear my ovaries were going to explode.” 

Kat looked at Rani, expressing her disbelief and gesturing to the surrounding kids. 

“What?” Rani asked. “Ovaries isn’t a curse word.” 

Kat frowned. 

“You didn’t see Arthur being adorable and want to have his babies?” Rani asked, startling Kat. 

“It was cute, yeah,” Kat said, if only to shut Rani up. “I’m not great with kids, though. Katelyn’s tried to get me to be an education major a few times, but I’d rather…” she looked at the kids, then back at Rani. “I’d rather not.” 

Rani laughed. “I’m not the most maternal either,” she assured Kat. “But try telling my body that when Arthur is being… Arthur.” She gestured with her hand, making a small circle over her belly. “The man is lucky we didn’t drag him back to the bus.” 

Kat chuckled, but changed the subject. “So, you guessed at what I read, but what do you read?”

“Textbooks,” Rani answered, shrugging. “That’s all I have time for.” 

Kat nodded. She understood that many abandoned recreational reading when there was so much assigned reading to complete. She’d been guilty of it herself, especially as an English major having to analyze everything her professors considered great literature. 

“Selene and I are taking a non-Western literature class. We read a few short stories from India that were good,” Kat said. 

“Let me guess, stories about British colonialism?” Rani asked. 

“Is that bad?” Kat asked, confused. 

“No, it’s just Westerners read stories about themselves when they read stories from India,” Rani said, shrugging. “But it’s still more than most people when they try to discuss Indian literature. They think The Jungle Book is popular over there.” 

Kat winced. “So, what’s your version of the great classical works?” 

“Well, I’ve read a few Indian novels, but I grew up in America, so I read the same shit you did in high school. My curriculum was even more classically focused because I went to a private school. There are a few Indian classics, though. The Ramayana is basically our version of the Greek classics to you,” Rani said. “I’ve read the Vedas and other classical Indian works, too, but that was family-mandated. Other than a few random novels my family members recommended, I’m American in my entertainment tastes. My pleasure reading was old fantasy novels.” 

“Old fantasy?” Kat asked, “Lord of the Rings?” 

“No. Conan the Barbarian, Tarzan, Elric of Melnibone, the Kane series, that kind of thing,” Rani said. “My cousin got me into it through some movies we found on cable. Though the movies are often better than the books, even if they aren’t great cinema. They’re hot guys in loincloths with rampant…” she glanced at the people around them. “Swords.” 

“So you’re enjoying Arthur’s costume today, I take it?” Kat asked.

“Aren’t we all?” Rani asked. “That man can pull off a loincloth, and I hope he does later.” 

Kat chuckled. 

“Do you think he’ll wear it again?” Rani asked. 

“I’m sure he will,” Kat said, shrugging. “Maybe for Halloween?” 

“I’d love it if he’d do it for another photoshoot,” Rani said, tapping her camera bag.

“You enjoy photographing him?” Kat asked. He’d posed to help Rani with her midterm project, but Kat hadn’t seen the photos of him and Thalia yet. She wondered what grade Rani would receive on the project. They’d have to wait until after Fall Break to find out. 

Rani nodded. “I have an idea for a photo shoot; I just need to buy him a sword while we’re here. Any chance you’d be interested in playing his damsel?”

“Me?” Kat asked, surprised. “Why don’t you ask Kelly?” 

“Because you’re hot in that bikini-miniskirt combo,” Rani said. “But if you don’t want to, I’ll find another model. I’d pay you, though, if you’re willing.”

“Would I have to be—” Kat hesitated. “It’d be in costume, right? The whole time?” 

Rani shrugged. “If you wanted, but it wouldn’t be my preference. You’ve got a sexy body and could do with a confidence boost. I’d pay extra for nudity, too. I always pay my models more for any nude projects.”   

Kat fell silent, stamping out the reaction of mouthing off about Rani’s casual use of her money. How had she not noticed Rani’s lack of concern over prices? Ever since her secret got out, she’d been throwing money around as if it were no big deal. And offering to pay Kat to take her clothes off on camera rubbed her the wrong way. Kat restrained her anger, knowing Rani hadn’t meant anything derisive by her offer. 

“Sorry,” Rani said, staring at Kat’s face. “I’m not trying to rub my family’s money in your face. If paying you for modeling crosses a line, I can ask you to do it as a friend. But I feel like that’s more of a faux pas. If I’m asking you to do something for me that I’d pay someone else for, I should pay you, right?” 

Kat tracked the logic, but it wasn’t as if her other friends ever offered to pay her for the things she did for them.

“Am I being obnoxious?” Rani asked. 

“No, but you’re rubbing your wealth in everyone’s face, especially in that outfit.” She gestured to the gold and ruby jewelry adorning Rani’s dark, veil-covered skin. Rani looked as if she’d stepped out of a sword and sorcery movie. If it had been cheap costume jewelry, and if she hadn’t been wearing anything under her gold-embroidered red veil, she might have been an extra from those sexploitation extravaganzas. 

Kat’s grin let Rani know she was teasing her, moving past the awkwardness as the line shuffled forward. 

“Fuck you, I look amazing,” Rani said, then winced as the kids ahead of them in line looked at her with wide eyes. “It’s fine,” she told them. “I can say shit like that, I’m an adult.” 

Kat face-palmed as the kids turned away, giggling like mad. 

“Oh, come on, they’ve heard their parents say worse, right?” Rani asked, looking at Kat for validation. “It’s not like I taught them any new words.” 

Kat shrugged. “My mother would wash our mouths out with soap if we used that language at their age.” 

Rani chuckled. “Pretty much any adult in my family would’ve smacked me if I’d been in reach when they heard that if I were their age.” 

Kat nodded. “My mom was heavy on the smacks, too.” 

“Yeah?” Rani asked. 

Kat nodded, dropping the subject as the kids ahead of them took their turn posing with the mermaid. “Any word in the chat about the others’ progress?” 

“Yvonne posing with a turkey leg,” Rani said, checking her phone. “But the other teams don’t count. They’re just doing it for fun.” 

“Nothing from Katelyn?” Kat asked. 

“Just the queen and the knight,” Rani confirmed. “Don’t worry, you’re up next.” 

“You’re not in the photo with me?” Kat asked. 

“Do you want me to be?” Rani asked. 

“Well, I don’t want to do it alone,” Kat said. 

“As you wish, Babe,” Rani said, pulling off her camera bag. “You know what pose you want?” 

“Pose?” Kat asked, surprised. 

“Just do what I do,” Rani said. “Come on.” 

The girls in front of them ran from the stage to join their parents at the back of the canopy, and Kat stepped forward. She waved at the mermaid, who smiled and waved back at her. 

“Would you mind if we got your tail in the photo?” Rani asked. “It’s for a scavenger hunt.” 

The mermaid nodded, and without saying a word, ducked under the water. She pressed her palms against the glass at the level of Kat’s head and smiled with her hair flowing out behind her. She flipped her tail up, curling so that the glimmering green tail fin hung over them. The greenish-blue scales of her tail sparkled under the water.

“Flexible,” Rani commented. “Hot.” 

Kat coughed and stepped into position.  

Rani posed on one side, with Kat on the other, and the mermaid between them. She put her hand against the glass to meet the mermaid’s, and made a kissy face, as if kissing the mermaid from one side. Kat mirrored her pose with difficulty. The three of them leaned forward enough to stop traffic with their cleavage. Several pedestrians on the path stopped to admire the pose. 

The photographer took several shots, choosing the best to print. “I can send them to an email as well, if you prefer a digital copy.” 

“Yes, please,” Kat said, producing her bank card. She saw the physical hesitation in Rani’s step as she reached for her purse. “I can cover this, Rani.” 

Rani nodded, not arguing. 

“Here you go!” the photographer said, moving them along so she could photograph the Princess Zelda mom and her toddler Link, who were next in line. If a noble lady were still on the list, they’d have asked her for a photo. Katelyn had claimed that one. 

They moved to the side of the canopy, taking slow steps toward the path as Kat checked her phone. She downloaded the photo from her email and sent it to the chat. 

Brat: Mermaid with a tail.

Whore: SO SEXY! 

Queenie: lol. It’s hot, right?

Pet: Hot AF. 

A selfie of Mindy and Katelyn with chocolate ice cream cones arrived in the chat. They leaned in together, showing off Mindy’s cleavage, and each had a tongue mid-lick on the cone. 

Rani responded with a fire emoji, as did Selene. 

Kat furrowed her brow. She double-checked the list, but ice cream wasn’t on it. 

Brat: You know that’s not part of the scavenger hunt, right? 

Pet: So? We’re having fun! 

Whore: You sent a hot photo, so we sent one back, Unnie! 

Kat rolled her eyes. 

Brat: That’s fine. The less seriously you take this, the sooner I win.

Katelyn and Mindy responded with sticking-out tongue emojis. Kat laughed and put her phone away. “Okay, what’s next?” 

Rani smiled. “Fairy Tea Shoppe?” 

Kat nodded. “That way.” She pointed, but stopped as her finger’s path intersected with a curvy redhead in a chainmail bikini. 

“Red Sonja!” Rani called, startling Kat and the other woman. 

Rani waved and trotted toward the other woman before Kat could catch up. Kat walked, keeping her pace more moderate as her steps had to be smaller. 

“Hi!” Rani said, beaming from ear to ear. “I’m sorry, but can we get a photo with you? Your cosplay is amazing.” 

The woman smiled, admiring Rani’s costume and gesturing to it as Kat approached and gave a small wave. 

“I’m Rani,” Rani said, introducing herself. “This is my friend Kat, and we’re in a scavenger hunt with our girlfriends. Would you mind?” 

“I don’t mind,” Sonja said. “Can I approve the photo, though?” 

“Sure!” Rani said, nodding. She looked at Kat and gestured for her to step forward as she drew her camera out of its bag. 

“Oh wow, you’re an actual photographer,” Sonja said, her eyes shining. 

“What’s going on?” A skinny guy dressed in barbarian furs and black clothes stepped forward. 

“We’re going to take a quick photo,” Sonja explained. 

“Nice camera,” the guy said. 

“Thanks,” Rani said. 

“Be careful with that lens; it looks expensive and can be a pain if you don’t know how to use it. If you turn those dials, you can adjust the focus,” the guy said. “Otherwise, the photo will come out blurry.” 

Rani blinked at the guy, staring at him. 

“Wow,” Kat said, her tone taking on that steel edge she didn’t mean to add. “Gee. She never would’ve thought of that on her own. Thank Crom, we have a guy here to point out the obvious basics of camera usage to the professional photographer.” 

Rani looked at Kat in surprise. “You know who Crom is?” 

“Yeah,” Kat said. “I’ve seen Conan. I’ve even read one.”

“You keep getting hotter,” Rani said, laughing.  

Red Sonja blushed and put her hand on the guy’s chest, patting him.

“I didn’t—” he protested, but Sonja cut him off. 

“You did,” she said. “Go on, I’ll catch up with you and the others, okay?” She pointed to their group that was shopping at the weapons forge. 

The guy blushed. “Sorry,” he said. He looked at Rani. “That was a stupid-ass thing to say. I didn’t mean to be a jerk. I wanted to say something witty, and that’s what my brain came up with.”

“Were you trying to flirt with her?” Kat asked, surprised as she looked between Sonja and the newcomer. 

“I mean—” the man hesitated, looking at Rani. “Would you be interested?” 

Rani laughed. “Oh, fuck no. I have a boyfriend, and he has a wit sharper than your average circle.” 

Kat snorted, turning away and laughing when she tried to turn it into a cough. 

“Ow,” the guy said, wincing. “But fair. Sorry again.”  

Sonja patted his back as he walked away. 

“Wow,” Rani said, watching him walk away. “Still training him, I see?” 

Sonja laughed. “He’s a dumbass, but he’s my brother, so I’m stuck with him, you know?” 

Kat and Rani both nodded as realization dawned. 

“Yeah, we get it,” Kat said. “You can’t choose your siblings. Sorry if we were harsh.” 

“Don’t worry,” Sonja said. “I would have lit into him if you hadn’t. He knows better than to mansplain. I think he just got distracted by your costumes and said the first dumb shit that jumped into his head. He’s been single too long.” 

“And what about you? Are you single? Free to mingle? Interested in men? Women?” Rani asked. 

Sonja did a double-take. “I thought you had a boyfriend?”

“I do, but we both enjoy fucking women, so,” Rani raised an eyebrow, as if waiting for Sonja to answer her. 

“Forgive her,” Kat said, holding her hand up to Rani to tell her to stop. “She’s direct and way too forward with people she doesn’t even know.” 

Sonja blushed. “I uh, I like both, but I’m kind of seeing a girl. Sorry.” 

“What’s your type?” Rani asked. 

“Rani,” Kat said, warning her. 

“What?” Rani asked, feigning innocence. They both knew she was recruiting for the potential orgy. 

“Photo first, flirt later,” Kat said. “We’re running out of time here.” 

“Okay,” Rani said. “Can I pose you?” 

“Sure?” Sonja asked. She seemed unsure, but had been off-balance ever since Rani asked her about her preferences. 

Kat sighed, realizing that arguing with Rani cost them precious time. “Fine. Just take the picture. We need to win this, remember?” 

Rani gestured, directing them to stand with the treeline in the background, the sunlight backlighting them in the twilight of the trees’ shadows. She had them face each other. 

Kat realized it wasn’t a coincidence that standing sideways to the camera showed off the most skin from Red Sonja’s steel-scaled loincloth and bra. Selene’s chainmail bikini was actual chain, but this one was overlapping scales that formed a bra and loincloth. The woman’s curves showed off hips and breasts, which made her appear soft, instead of as hard as Kat expected of a barbarian heroine.

Rani turned Kat, making Kat face Sonja, her body angled toward the camera. She moved Sonja’s hand to Kat’s chin, lifting her eyes to meet Sonja’s. 

“Two curvy barbarian girls,” Rani said, musing to herself. “Fuck, this is hot.” 

Sonja smiled, but it flickered with her nerves. “This is my first time posing for a professional.” 

Kat sighed. “She’s a talented photographer, for a perv.” 

“Pot, kettle,” Rani said. 

“I am not a pervert,” Kat said. “You take that back.” 

“So that wasn’t you rocking the bus as Arthur angry-fucked the shit out of you earlier?” Rani asked. “Manasa said she had to wear earphones to drown out your good time.” 

Both Sonja and Kat blushed scarlet for different reasons. Rani snapped several photos in rapid succession. 

“You motherfucker,” Kat said, breaking the pose to glare at Rani. 

“Yeah, I enjoy a good MILF,” Rani said, checking the images she’d taken on her camera. “I need a turn with Beth.”

Sonja broke the pose, brushing a strand of her bright red hair behind her ear. If she had heard Rani’s comment about Beth, she didn’t mention it. “How does it look?” 

Rani showed her on the camera, and Sonja’s mouth dropped open. “Wow. I look—we look amazing!” 

“Let me see,” Kat said, looking over Rani’s shoulder. Rani showed her the picture. They looked amazing. Two blushing, curvy barbarians looking at each other as though they’d kiss. She imagined that if Arthur saw the photo, he might get an erection. Rani’s glee told Kat she enjoyed it, but otherwise, Kat saw no reason to object. “Looks good.” 

“Okay to post?” Rani asked. 

Sonja nodded. 

“Do you want a copy for you and your girlfriend?” Rani asked. 

“Oh, uh, sure. We’re not girlfriends yet, but we’re, well, we’re kind of seeing each other. It’s complicated,” Sonja admitted. 

Kat scoffed. “Don’t worry. We get it. Our love lives are complicated, too. We’re the queens of complicated.” 

“We’re in a polycule, dating the same guy but not dating each other,” Rani said, gesturing between her and Kat. “It’s not that complicated.” 

“Oh,” Sonja said, looking between the two. “That sounds complicated to me.” 

“It is, and Rani just wants to complicate it further,” Kat said, sighing. 

“Throwing an invitation-only orgy isn’t that complicated,” Rani said, shaking her head. “It’s just like any party, but with less food, more water, and more lube.” 

Sonja blushed again, looking away. 

“Give me your number,” Rani said, looking at Sonja. 

“What?” Sonja asked, startled. She looked around. “Me?” 

“If you want a copy?” Rani asked. “I can text it to you. Or your email, if you’d prefer?” 

“Oh, right,” Sonja said, stammering as Rani pulled out her phone. She recited her phone number, and Rani entered her digits and read them back to her.  

Sonja nodded, confirming her number and shifting her weight from foot to foot. 

“Thanks, gorgeous,” Rani said. “You too, Kat.” 

“Har, har,” Kat said, rolling her eyes as Rani sent the photo to the chat. “Thank you, miss, uh, Sonja?” 

“Hallie,” Sonja said. 

“Nice to meet you, Hallie,” Rani said. “I love your costume. Are you a big Red Sonja fan?” 

Hallie nodded, blushing as she fixed her hair. “Yeah, I know I’m not as fit as—” 

“Girl, cut that shit out right the fuck now,” Rani said. “You’re hot as fuck. Your curves make me want to drag you behind those trees for a good time.” 

Sonja blushed, covering her face with her hands. “Uh, thanks?” 

Rani smiled. She winked at Kat. “Yours too, don’t be envious.”

Kat sighed. “Come on. We’ve got other pictures to take.” 

“Yes, ma’am,” Rani said, putting her phone away. “Thanks again, Hallie.” 

“You’re welcome,” Hallie said, nodding as she recovered from her blush. 

“I sent you the photo,” Rani said. “And, uh, here’s my card, if you ever need a photographer.” 

Sonja took the small white business card from Rani, looking confused. 

“Or, you know, whatever,” Rani said. 

“Jesus fucking Christ, are you still flirting with her? She’s taken. You’re taken! Stop it!” Kat stomped her foot. 

“She’s cute when she’s mad, right?” Rani asked, gesturing at Kat. Hallie blushed more as Kat shoved Rani and moved them away from the woman. Rani held her hand to her face in a ‘call me’ gesture. 

“I can’t believe you,” Kat said when they were out of Hallie’s earshot. 

“What?” Rani asked. “Come on, she’s hot as fuck. You can’t blame me for shooting my shot.” 

“You’re taken!” Kat reminded her. “Six times over.”

“Of course I am,” Rani said, confused. “So?” 

“Then why were you flirting with her?” Kat demanded. 

“Because we have rules in place for guests and extra partners,” Rani said. “And if you want to have fun while we’re here, she’s a prime candidate. Hot as fuck, into girls and guys, Arthur’s type and mine. If she’s interested, I can explain the rules to her, and if she wants to, and we want to, well, then everyone’s happy, right?” 

Kat huffed. She didn’t see why Rani needed an extra girl tonight if she had Manasa, Arthur, Mindy, and the others. What was the point of having more people than she had hands? Sharing was one thing, but when did it become too many people? There were only so many partners, so many holes, and so many toys available.

“We have plenty,” Kat argued. “So stop it, okay? Stop trying to push Arthur into having an orgy if he doesn’t want one. Let him have a fucking night off.” 

Rani stopped, looking at Kat. “I mean, yeah, that’s what I’m trying to do. A night where he doesn’t have to be the one leading. Kelly doesn’t want the job, so I’m doing it.” 

“And you want to invite everyone?” Kat asked. “People we don’t know? Why not just hand out flyers?” 

“No,” Rani said, narrowing her eyes at Kat. “I’m using discernment, and I’m not inviting any guys. Hallie’s welcome, sure, but her brother sure as fuck isn’t. Angie isn’t. Random women aren’t. But cute hotties with big tits and curvy hips in sword and sorcery costumes? Fuck yeah, Hallie gets a fucking invitation, especially if she’s interested in spending time between me and Mindy, which leaves more Arthur for you. So, stop complaining, right?” 

Kat sighed. 

“What’s your problem with group stuff?” Rani asked. “I know you’re not into women, but you don’t have an issue when it’s just our group, right?” 

“It’s not safe,” Kat said. “No one vouches for them. They’re strangers.” 

Rani stared at her. “Well, that’s—” she sighed. “A good point.” 

Kat did a double-take. “What?” 

“That’s a fair point,” Rani said. “We don’t know them. We haven’t vetted them beyond our interactions. For me, that’s a draw. The unknown is part of the thrill.” 

Kat stared at her, and Rani sighed. 

“Look, I know you and Selene had it hard growing up. I’m not saying my life sucks worse than yours or anything, but I had problems too. I had to be the perfect daughter. Doing what I’m told, how to act, what to say, and all that shit, to an extreme degree. There were no surprises. No freedom. Not with my parents and grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and siblings telling me to be good.” 

Kat’s frown stiffened. “Well, I’d say I can sympathize. My mother had high expectations for our behavior. Expectations I always had to live up to, even if my sister didn’t bother and just caused chaos.” 

“Hm,” Rani said. “You should get it then, right? My whole life was order, structure, and rules, and now I embrace the chaos. That’s the whole point. But you’re different. The unknown scares you, right?” 

“Well, yeah, maybe,” Kat admitted. “But I can be adventurous. I’m here, aren’t I? I can go with the flow, but that doesn’t mean I’m willing to flirt with every stranger or take them back to the bedroom.” 

“I wonder if that’s because you’re used to dating men,” Rani said after a moment’s contemplation. 

Kat raised an eyebrow, waiting for Rani to explain. 

“Dating men is scary sometimes,” Rani said, as if she shouldn’t have to explain it. “Unless you’re a guy, I guess. But as a woman, you have to vet the guy first. Make sure he’s not a crazy person who’s going to abuse or murder you. It’s a whole process. So when looking at potential partners, even guests, your brain wants to vet them first, letting your nervous system settle before you explore anything sexual.” 

Kat glanced around them, making sure no one was overhearing this.

“It’s different dating women,” Rani said. “It’s a safer experience you don’t have, but I do. You can be more forward and trust them more than men. Heck, you have to be more forward in my experience. Most girls are too shy to be the pursuer. They blush and stammer like Hallie, so you have to be up front. Otherwise, you can spend weeks, even months, dancing around the topic. Granted, you still get psychos, but I’m an excellent judge of character and can pick up those vibes super quick.” 

Kat blinked at her, stunned. She made good points, and her reasoning was less horny than Kat expected. Besides, dating women was an experience Kat didn’t have, whereas Rani had it in spades. 

“Huh,” Kat said, considering her words. “That makes sense.” 

Rani shrugged. “Just a thought. Come on.” She offered Kat her hand. “Let’s go get the rest of your photos.”  

Kat took her hand, following as Rani led her toward the Fairy Tea Shoppe.

~~~

Katelyn laughed as she licked the side of her waffle cone to catch the dripping chocolate. Mindy giggled with her. Both of them ate and walked at the same time until they reached the gazebo. The Faire had multiple gazebos throughout the grounds, offering shade and benches in the center of the shop-divided lane. This one was near the jousting field, at the intersection halfway between it and the lake. They stood beside it, claiming a slice of the shade while other groups mingled around them. 

“What’s left on the list?” Mindy asked. 

“A fairy,” Katelyn said, reciting the list from memory. “A redhead in a chainmail bikini, a Disney princess, a turkey leg, a medieval musical instrument, a medieval torture instrument, a wench, and an unseelie.” 

“And how many do we need?” Mindy asked. 

“We’ve got two, and there’s thirteen, so first one to seven wins,” Katelyn said. “Which means we need five of the eight left.” 

“Right,” Mindy agreed. “Sorry for distracting you with ice cream.” She licked her ice cream, closing her eyes to revel in the flavor. 

The afternoon sun was warm, beating down on both of them. Their ice cream was refreshing. The thin waffle cone offered minimal insulation between the frozen treat and their fingertips. Her tongue reveled in the sweet chocolate flavor, and each swallow helped cool her body. Katelyn hadn’t realized how warm she was until she had something to compare herself to. 

Katelyn chuckled. “I don’t mind the distraction. I love ice cream. Thanks for the treat, by the way.” 

Mindy winked at her. “I don’t mind. That way it’s a date! An ice cream date with my harem sister!” 

Katelyn blinked in surprise, then smiled. “That’s still so weird, but oddly nice?” 

Mindy giggled. “What’s weird?”

“Referring to it as a harem out loud,” Katelyn said. “It makes it seem like an anime or hentai.”  

Mindy shrugged. “Is that okay?”  

“Yeah, I like it,” Katelyn said. “It’s just weird to remember that I’m not just dating Arthur, but I’m dating everyone in the group. It’s exciting, intimidating, hot, and weird. I don’t know how I’ll tell my parents, but they’re laid back.”

“Lucky,” Mindy said. “Mine threw me for a loop. They’re fine that I’m bi, but they tried to draw the line at poly. I can love men and women, but God forbid I choose both instead of one.” 

Katelyn nodded. “Parents and their expectations, am I right?” 

“Yeah,” Mindy said, licking the ice cream to the top of her cone. “You said yours are laid back, though?” 

“Oh, yeah,” Katelyn said. “They’re busy with work. They care, but work comes first, you know? And they’re progressive, used to working with all kinds of people. So, it doesn’t make any difference to them if I’m gay, straight, bi, trans, poly, or whatever. They’ll support me.” 

“That sounds like Arthur’s parents,” Mindy said. “Deb is awesome, and Mister Clarke is so funny, but they support him no matter what.” 

Katelyn bit her waffle cone, tearing off a chunk with the ice cream inside. They ate in comfortable silence, watching the crowds pass as they enjoyed the shade. People of all shapes, sizes, and costume budgets passed them, enjoying the sights and sounds. The dying leaves on the trees and the red, orange, and brown leaves on the ground gave the setting sunlight a fiery persistence. The gazebo stood strong, allowing the temperature to drop enough to raise goosebumps on her shoulders and arms as the ice cream chilled her. 

“Look!” Mindy said, pointing with her now-empty hand between licks. “A Tinkerbell! That should count as your fairy, right?” 

“Yeah!” Katelyn said, taking the last bite of her cone. “Come on!” She trotted forward, making her wings flutter as Mindy followed behind her, holding onto her hat. 

“Excuse me!” Mindy called as they approached Tinkerbell, who was heading toward them. The blonde woman in her twenties was with friends who weren’t in costume, except for a Peter Pan with a pan flute on his belt. “Can we get a picture with you?” 

Peter and Tinkerbell checked with each other and nodded. The woman was in hose, or tights, given the shortness of her skirt. Otherwise, the sparkling green dress was movie-accurate, with her hair matching Katelyn’s in style but Tink’s in color. The full-sleeve tattoo on her left arm and shoulder even had fairies woven into it, peeking out from behind different vining leaves. 

Peter was fit, and about Tink’s age, clean-shaven, with his top covering the top of his green tights enough to cover his crotch. He wore a thimble on a string around his neck, which Katelyn thought was a clever touch. 

“Is that a Rosetta costume?” Tink asked. 

“Oh, kind of,” Katelyn said. “I borrowed her colors and theme, yeah.”

“That’s how the best costumes start,” Peter assured her. “Where should we pose for the picture?” 

Their friends nodded and headed into the small theater beside them, ready to watch the next show. 

“Here is fine,” Mindy said. She gestured to an empty spot with the lake in the background. 

Peter posed with his fists on his hips. Tink took his arm and popped her foot up behind her. Katelyn stood on the other side of him, smiling as she held her hands in front of her. 

Mindy took the photo on her phone, turning it sideways to capture them all. She showed them the photo for approval, and they took a second one with Peter’s phone. Then a third, with Peter playing his panpipes. “Thank you!” Mindy said, passing Peter’s phone back to him. 

“Yes, thanks!” Katelyn said. 

“No problem,” Tink said, leading Peter away as they turned into the theater. “I like your tattoos!” she gestured at Katelyn and Mindy’s matching tattoos since both of them had them on their chests. Katelyn’s was in the center of her flat chest, revealed by the low cut and long V of her top. Mindy’s was on her breast, above her heart. 

“Thanks!” Katelyn and Mindy said together. 

Katelyn looped her arm through Mindy’s as Mindy sent the two pictures to the chat. 

Whore: Fairy pic! And Medieval Musical Instrument pic!

Queenie: Dammit, I was just about to upload our fairy pic. 

Pet: Thou who snoozest, loozest. 

Whore: lol. 

Queenie: Okay, okay, fair. But I don’t think the panpipes count as medieval, do they? They’re ancient Greek. 

Whore: But they were in the medieval ages, weren’t they? They lasted through them. 

Brat: It’s fine. We’ll catch up. 

Queenie: Well, here’s a Red Sonja picture. Enjoy. 

She uploaded the photo, Mindy gasped, showed her phone, and then laughed because Katelyn was following along with her own. They shuffled back to the gazebo, typing their responses. 

Whore: Wow! So pretty! 

Pet: Damn, Kat, you’re so hot in that pic! 

Slut: Did you invite her to the orgy? 

Brat: No. Now stop it. 

Queenie: lol. We’re working on it. I have her number. If our king decides the orgy is on, I’m texting her. 

Kat sent a rolling-eyes emoji, to which Katelyn responded with a heart. Mindy sent a fire emoji to reply to Queenie’s comment. 

“I saw that Red Sonja earlier. She’s so hot,” Mindy fanned herself. “Not as hot as Rani or Kelly or you or Selene, but—” 

Katelyn scoffed. “She’s way hotter than me. Are you kidding? I’m nowhere near her level of hot.” 

“Don’t sell yourself short,” Mindy said. “You’ve got better legs.” 

Katelyn gave Mindy a disbelieving look. 

“What?” Mindy asked. “You’ve got legs for days! They’ve been driving me crazy, and you’re crazy hot! If we weren’t on this side quest, I’d drag you back to the bus.” 

Katelyn’s expression of disbelief slid into a smile, and she hugged Mindy, letting her soft breasts push against her bony ribs. “Thanks.” 

Mindy beamed at her and hugged her in return. Squeezing her. “I’m not kidding, I wish I had your legs.” 

“Your legs are great too. The fishnets, boots, and skirt work well together,” Katelyn said. 

“Thanks! But I know where my strengths lie.” Mindy pushed her shoulders back, showing off her chest. “These double-dees are made to please.” 

Katelyn laughed, giggling with Mindy as they stowed their phones and moved to the next items on the list. Four and four meant Kat and Katelyn remained tied, and she wanted to win, despite the guilt of knowing that winning took Arthur away from the others. It meant sleeping in his bed tonight while the others slept elsewhere.

Prize aside, the competition stoked her, and winning something lifted her spirits almost as much as Mindy and the others did.

~~~

Kelly applauded at the end of another song with the crowd. So far, the show hadn’t disappointed in rowdy entertainment and bawdy lyrics. Their tunes were melodic, and the rhythms made Kelly want to dance. She’d been tapping her toes while Arthur tapped the table with his fingers. The surrounding patrons sometimes clapped to the beat, or as near to it as they could manage. Kelly always found that disruptive. 

The girls on stage did plenty of lewd dance moves. Not every instrument featured in every song, often freeing one or two of them to move through the crowd. They flirted with the bar patrons and teased the patrons of their choice at the tables, never staying in one place for long. They paid special attention to the women in the crowd, which Kelly suspected was to stop anyone from being upset when they flirted with the men. 

Plenty of couples had filled the tavern since the show began, and they packed the place, with everyone having a good time. 

“And now, we need volunteers from the audience!” Red Jenny cried as the last chords of the song faded. Hands rose, but she waved them away. “Any of you menfolk who aren’t wearing pants,” her eyes fell on Arthur, “get up here on stage!” 

Laughter rippled through the crowd, and a few men in kilts headed toward the stage, but Arthur stayed where he was. 

“Go on, get up there!” Kelly said, patting his arm. 

“No, it’s okay,” Arthur said, squeezing Kelly’s hand, which was still in his. “I’d rather watch with you.” 

“That’s sweet, but go on. I know how much you love being on stage,” Kelly said, releasing his hand. 

“Are you sure?” Arthur asked. “I don’t know what they have planned, but it’ll be raunchy.” 

Kelly laughed. “Raunchier than our average morning or stripping for your boss’ sister’s bachelorette party?” 

Arthur chuckled, scooting his chair back and rising to join the others on stage. He kissed Kelly, and she patted his butt as he passed toward the stage. He climbed up by placing one hand on the stage and hopping over the wall like a gymnast. The move drew applause from the audience and surprise from Kelly. She supposed he must’ve learned it through years of theater.

The Naughty Gals lined the men up shoulder to shoulder, with Arthur in the middle. He had two men on either side of him, each in a kilt of a different color and varying degrees of authenticity. The leftmost had a plain black kilt and wore a ‘Kiss Me Kilt’ T-shirt. Between him and Arthur stood a man in full Highlander garb, complete with the fly plaid, dirk, and sgian-dubh in his knee socks. The man on Arthur’s right was the oldest, gray-haired in a smart, black Argyll jacket and King Stewart tartan. On the far right stood a man of Arthur and Kelly’s age in a Black Watch tartan and the thickest glasses Kelly had ever seen. 

Arthur was the tallest, and the musicians left their hands on him the longest as they guided him into place. They ran their hands over his arms, chest, and shoulders. That Arthur was the only bare-chested man on stage didn’t go unnoticed. A few wolf-whistles and catcalls from the audience drew laughter, and Arthur played to it by winking at Kelly. The other men grinned, straightening the line. 

Kelly grinned and sipped her wine. 

The Naughty Gals struck a chord, silencing the audience. “Now, boys, do you know how to wiggle your hips?” Red Jenny asked, demonstrating. 

The men watched her, then mimicked her, rocking their hips from side to side. They spread out, stepping apart to give themselves room to move without bumping their neighbors. 

“And I hope at least a few of you can thrust. Don’t hurt yourselves, now,” Red Jenny said, demonstrating by thrusting her hips back and forth. She made the men laugh and blush with her facial expressions while she did it. 

Except Arthur. Bless him. Kelly had to laugh to herself as she watched her boyfriend’s eyes on Red Jenny’s hips. The lady’s sexiness was lost on him as he studied the motion and mimicked it, as if he were in an audition. He was too busy learning the steps they expected him to execute without practice. She wished she could ask Selene if this was typical of a stage performance. 

“So, boys, your job is to dance like this. Wiggle those hips as we play our song! We’re going to dance and play around you, and if one of us stops in front of you, thrust. Say ‘Aye, Captain’ if you understand!” 

“Aye, Captain!” The men called. 

Jenny gestured, and the music began. The fiddler and the bodhran player stayed put. The guitarist set her instrument aside, as did the concertina player, and they joined Captain Jenny in dancing around the men. They showed plenty of skin and curves between the three of them, with their outfits emphasizing their assets. They were sexy without being explicit, a fine line to walk. 

The song’s lyrics were amusing, though more specific to a kilt than a loincloth. “Donald, where’s your trousers?” formed the end of every chorus. At which point, one of the women stopped in front of them, bent forward toward the audience, presenting their backside to the men. The man thrust, and she jumped and ran away as if surprised. 

It was funny, so long as Kelly didn’t probe what it was suggesting. 

Kelly kept her eyes on Arthur’s face for a few verses, especially when he thrust, but the laughter, applause, and music kept a smile on his face. She supposed the difference was that the women were only pretending the thrust was a surprise. There was no contact between the thruster and the woman, as far as Kelly could tell. It was choreography, and the “shock value” made it comedy, she supposed. 

Still, it looked funny as the women clowned around. At the end of the song, all three women bent over in front of the men, then jumped away to the crowd’s laughter and applause. 

“Okay, Faire Folk, who do you think was the best dancer among our fine, trouserless gentlemen?” Red Jenny asked, calling out to the crowd. The drummer indicated the man on the far right. The crowd applauded. A cheer rose from the bar where his friends waited for him. The next man received enthusiastic, if smaller, applause. Kelly wished the others were here. Arthur couldn’t lose with a dozen friends in the audience. She did her best to make up for their absence, whistling and hollering when it was his turn. Kelly wasn’t alone. Whatever Red Jenny had planned for him, plenty of women in the audience wanted to see it.

She resumed polite applause for the others and waited for the results as the five band members huddled behind the men, whispering into their microphones. Each clipped half-sentence made it sound as if they were deliberating, cutting each other off, but understanding and forming a consensus until they yelled “Break!” and hopped away. 

Red Jenny strolled the line of men, tapping her cutlass against her shoulder as she eyed them. Each stood tall, their chins high. Their eyes followed Jenny, but Arthur’s slid to Kelly, and his lips slid into a half-faced grin. Jenny leveled her cutlass at him as she stood before him, resting the tip of it an inch away from his sharp chin. She knew he wasn’t in danger, but Kelly wished she’d move the blade away from his bare neck and chest.

“You!” Red Jenny said, standing before Arthur. “You stay. The rest of you may rejoin the crew.” 

The other men nodded, laughing as they descended from the stage. Their friends greeted them, clasping shoulders and sharing drinks again as they laughed and teased each other. Kelly watched Arthur, waiting to see what they’d do next. Red Jenny had leaned in and whispered to him while the others left the stage, and he nodded several times before she pulled away. 

“You there, what’s your name?” Red Jenny asked, resuming her volume and microphone for the crowd. 

“Arthur, Ma’am,” Arthur replied. 

The band members gasped, looking shocked. 

“Ma’am?” Red Jenny asked. “Ma’am?!?!?” she mock-cried, throwing herself into a hug from the guitarist and crying on her shoulder. “I’ve been ma’aaaaamed! I’m not that old!” 

“How dare you?” the concertina player berated Arthur. 

“Uh, sorry?” Arthur offered, shrugging. 

Kelly chuckled—so much for no more apologies. 

“Care to make it up to me?” Red Jenny asked, recovering instantly, prompting the crowd to laugh. 

“Sure,” Arthur offered, playing along. 

“You wear a strange kilt, friend,” Red Jenny said. “But the question on everyone’s mind is, do you wear it true?” 

“Well, it’s not a kilt, it’s—” Arthur stopped speaking as Red Jenny’s cutlass returned to its position beneath his chin. 

“Do you wear it true?” Red Jenny asked. 

“Are you asking if I’m wearing anything under this?” Arthur asked.

Red Jenny nodded in an exaggerated motion for the crowd’s benefit, playing it up as they laughed. “Here, whisper your answer in my ear. We’ll leave it a surprise for the crew.” She turned her head, presenting her ear to him, and mimed her surprise with her hand over her mouth as he leaned forward and whispered.

Kelly knew there were briefs attached to the loincloth, so she wasn’t worried.

“Alright, ladies!” Captain Jenny said as she raised her cutlass, and the music started. This time, the bodhran player, the guitarist, and the concertina player took up the song. Red Jenny and the fiddler danced, miming the story of the Drunken Scotsman with Arthur in the middle. 

“Well, a Scotsman clad in kilt left a bar one evening fair,

And one could tell by how he walked that he’d drunk more than his share,

He fumbled ‘round until he could no longer keep his feet,

Then he stumbled off into the grass to sleep beside the street.

Oh-ring-ding diddle-diddle-addie-oh ring die-diddly I oh!

He stumbled off into the grass to sleep beside the street.” 

To his credit, Arthur pretended to be asleep as the two women danced around him. It made Kelly laugh that he was playing along and being a good sport. Sure, he enjoyed performing on stage, but she didn’t know if he knew the song. Then again, he might. The beat made Kelly tap her foot and clap along with the crowd as the song continued. 

“Around that time, two young and lovely girls just happened by,

And one says to the other with a twinkle in her eye,

‘See yon sleeping Scotsman, so strong and handsome-built,

I wonder if it’s true what they don’t wear beneath the kilt!’

Oh-ring-ding diddle-diddle-addie-oh ring die-diddly I oh!

I wonder if it’s true what they don’t wear beneath the kilt!”

The two women ended on the side of the stage, pointing at Arthur as they mimed along. It amused Kelly, especially as they acted out the next version in an overdramatic fashion.  

“They crept up on that sleeping Scotsman, quiet as could be,

And lifted up his kilt about an inch so they could see,

And there behold, for them to view, beneath his Scottish skirt,

Was nothing more than God had graced him with upon his birth!

Oh-ring-ding diddle-diddle-addie-oh ring die-diddly I oh!

Was nothing more than God had graced him with upon his birth!” 

Red Jenny and Colleen Corsair, the fiddler, bent over and lifted Arthur’s loincloth. Red Jenny blocked the crowd’s view with her head. Meanwhile, Colleen lifted the back of his loincloth, as if peeking at his butt, which the audience couldn’t see. Still, it made everyone laugh, and Arthur continued pretending to be asleep.  They soon dropped the loincloth again and made exaggerated expressions of shock and disbelief to the crowd. 

“They marveled for a moment, then one said, ‘We must be gone.

Let’s leave a present for our friend before we move along.’

As a gift, they left a blue silk ribbon, tied into a bow,

Around the bonnie star, the Scotsman’s kilt did lift and show.

Oh-ring-ding diddle-diddle-addie-oh ring die-diddly I oh!

Around the bonnie star, the Scotsman’s kilt did lift and show!” 

The girls wheeled away from him, after leaving a bright blue ribbon, a first-prize ribbon pinned to the front of his loincloth. They hadn’t pinned it to the briefs, which made Kelly utter a silent prayer of thanks, but to the hanging front part. Kelly suspected a pin was the most practical. Now it was Arthur’s turn to act out the lyrics, as he woke and pretended to be drunk and stumbling. 

“Now the Scotsman woke to nature’s call and stumbled toward a tree,

Behind a bush, he lifts his kilt and gawks at what he sees.

And in a startled voice he says to what’s before his eyes,

Oh, lad, I don’t know where you’ve been, but I see you won first prize!

Oh-ring-ding diddle-diddle-addie-oh ring die-diddly I oh!

Oh, lad, I don’t know where you’ve been, but I see you won first prize!” 

The singers drew out the last notes of the refrain. The audience applauded and cheered, clapping for him as much as for the band. Kelly had to admit he’d done a fine job of acting out the last verse, which confirmed that he knew the lyrics and how they ended. Perhaps Jenny had told him during their whispered conversation before the song began, but it had gone well. 

Arthur started to remove the ribbon, but Jenny stopped him. It was his to keep. She gestured to him for the crowd and led their applause for him as he left the stage. He hopped down much the way he’d gotten up, ignoring the stairs, which caused further applause, and Kelly rose to greet him as he reached their table. She kissed him without thinking, as if reclaiming him from Red Jenny. Arthur proved passionate as their lips met, and the crowd’s applause turned into cheering, whooping, and hollering as they cheered on the pirate lass and her prize-winning boyfriend. 

“Thank you, Faire Folk! I’m Captain Red Jenny, and we’ve been the Naughty Gals! We’ll see you next time! Thank you for coming to the Saltwine Theater!” Red Jenny said, announcing the end of their show as Kelly and Arthur broke apart and retook their seats. 

The crowd gave them a standing ovation, and Arthur and Kelly joined them as the women curtsied, bowed, and stepped back as the curtain closed. 

“Did you have fun?” Kelly asked. 

Arthur laughed, beaming from ear to ear as he nodded. “Yeah, I had fun.” 

“I don’t know how you do it, standing up there, letting people laugh at you,” Kelly said, shaking her head. 

“Are you kidding?” Arthur asked, surprised. “Getting laughter from an audience when I’m on stage trying to be funny? That’s a stronger rush than cocaine. I’m on such a high right now.” 

Kelly smiled, knowing as well as he did that he’d tried no drug of the sort. She wasn’t an actress. As long as he enjoyed it, that was the important part. She would have hated herself if she had encouraged him to get on stage only to face humiliation. Instead, he smiled so widely that she worried he’d hurt his face, and she pinched his cheek to draw his attention back to her. 

She kissed him, he kissed her, and together they ignored the rest of the world as the crowd drained away from the tavern via the path behind them. His breath tasted of coconut whiskey, which proved strong enough to wash away the eggs and sausages they’d eaten. Her breath tasted of spearmint because she had gum in her purse and used it while he was on stage. 

“Thanks for letting me borrow your man,” Captain Jenny said, not on stage or amplified now, but mingling through the paltry crowd in the tavern. “You were a good sport, Arthur.” 

Kelly broke the kiss, surprised to find how empty the tavern was. How long had she been kissing him? Too long for polite company. She wiped her thumb over his lips, clearing them of her lipstick despite not seeing any. He grinned at Kelly, then turned his attention to Captain Jenny. 

“Any time,” Arthur said, and Kelly could tell he meant it. 

“Careful now, I wouldn’t want a war between your lady and me,” Captain Jenny said, her tone teasing. 

Arthur laughed, and Kelly did too, though Captain Jenny looked confused as if she’d missed the joke. Kelly didn’t think it was appropriate to explain to her that Arthur could sleep with any lady he wanted, so long as he let Kelly join. 

“You’re right there,” Arthur agreed. “Do you need the ribbon back?” He asked, reaching toward his crotch to remove it. 

“No, keep it,” Jenny said, nodding. “It’s a souvenir.” She looked at Kelly. “And here, for your pirate costume.” She passed Kelly a small cloth bag. 

Kelly opened it and found a plastic eyepatch on an elastic string. She chuckled, showing Arthur. “Now all I need is a peg leg and a parrot.” 

Arthur chuckled. “A scavenger hunt of your very own.” 

“Oh!” Kelly said, straightening in her seat. “I forgot! I should check on the group’s progress.” She dug out her phone as Arthur laughed and explained to Captain Jenny. 

“Well, best of luck to ye,” Captain Jenny said, nodding. “I hope your friends find their treasure, and I hope you two have a great rest of your day at our fine Faire.” She tipped her hat, bowed, and walked away, leaving Kelly and Arthur alone at the table as Kelly checked on the scavenger hunt progress.

~~~

Arthur checked his phone as he and Kelly walked away from the Saltwine Theater. With both of them checking the chat, they stalled their walk and stood off to the side beneath the trees. The tournament had carried on without them, and they caught up on the chat together. 

Everyone seemed to have a good time, taking silly photos and laughing together. Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen had sent their photos to the Theater Club Council chat, where Caleb was commenting as he and Logan drove home. Selene sent her and Yvonne’s pics to the bus chat for everyone to see. It made Arthur smile to see a glimpse of normal Selene again, smiling with Yvonne as they posed with their finds. 

Kat, Rani, Katelyn, and Mindy sent their pictures to the harem chat, splitting the list item by item as they raced to complete it. Arthur smiled. He’d have to create a folder on his phone and download today’s pictures to put everything in one place. The disorganization inherent in so many people and in so many chats was unsustainable.  

Still, to satiate his curiosity over the tournament’s progress, he read through the harem chat. Kat had taken a picture with Captain America, a grumpy owl, a mermaid, and a very attractive woman in a Red Sonja cosplay. Katelyn had taken pictures with Queen Elizabeth, a jousting knight, Tinkerbell, and Peter Pan, who was playing his flute. 

Then the conversation fell back to the orgy. Arthur recalled the way Rani had laid it out. She’d rented out the rooms for an entire floor in the hotel for them and their friends. Her plan was for each man to stay in his own room, with his girlfriends staying with him. Then, other women could visit if they wanted to. It satisfied many of Arthur’s inherent objections to the idea. 

He’d been wrestling with whether to have one all day long. Hosting an orgy sounded exhausting after the day they had, even if imagining himself in one stirred something in him. A hotel orgy with strangers would be a novel experience, though he’d been to similar events before with Lori. Well, he’d been to a BDSM club with Lori. It wasn’t the same thing. He didn’t know how to host an orgy, but Rani seemed confident. 

Plus, the way Rani suggested it, he didn’t have to play host to everyone, and she’d invited twins who were interested. Twins. It was a basic fantasy. He knew that, but he couldn’t help it. To have sex with two or more identical women had been a fantasy for a long time. He enjoyed his threesomes, his dominance, and his harem. He wanted them, even if he’d forgotten that from the weariness of an emotional week.

It’d been taxing the last few days, never having time to himself, but that didn’t mean he didn’t enjoy it. He enjoyed his time with each of them and loved each of them. He even loved it when they hung out as a group, like today. If he ignored the issues with Kat and Angie, today had been fun. 

Maybe it was the high from the audience’s laughter and applause, or the blue ribbon pinned to his loincloth. He’d undergone a rejuvenation during his time with Kelly. She took care of him, becoming his refuge and bringing him back to himself. He wanted to be in control, to love each of his partners, and to dominate them in the bedroom. Outside the bedroom, he needed to adjust and figure out how to do that more regularly for those who wanted it. If he were honest with himself, he enjoyed when Selene performed her minor acts of submission, even when they were out and about. His conversation with her had done him some good, too, helping him realign. 

Dominance was stranger territory outside of closed doors, but dammit, he was Arthur Clarke. He had a harem of six women who wanted to be with him and wanted him to lead them. They were out about their polycule. He was their king. They’d tattooed his mark on their bodies in henna. He wasn’t a whiny asshole from high school or a creep; he was hot and in control. 

“Penny for your thoughts, Mister?” Kelly asked. 

Arthur raised his eyes from Kelly’s tattoo, which he’d been staring at as the thoughts whirled through his head. 

“Thinking about the girls?” Kelly asked.  

“Not exactly, but I’m glad they’re having as good a time as we are,” he said to Kelly. “I was considering what to do about the orgy.” 

“Whatever you decide, I’ll support you,” Kelly said, kissing his cheek. 

“I know, and I appreciate that,” Arthur said. “But if it were your decision, what would you do?” 

“Well, despite my current unavailability, in the interest of expanding my sexual horizons and gaining more experience with casual sex,” Kelly pondered as she tapped her chin. “I’d say yes.” 

“Really?” Arthur asked, surprised. 

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m staying in your room, and not getting naked in front of Brad or Mark,” Kelly said. She didn’t have to explain her disinterest in the other men. “But a few ladies? Watching you dominate the others is hot. Plus, I mean, if the women are hot, and they’re into women, too? I wouldn’t be running it, and you’re there to look out for me? It’d be the wildest thing I’ve ever done, but it’d be fun, right? Not something we’d do every weekend, but everyone enjoys themselves for a night, and having that much fun might be good for you, too.”

“Good for me?” Arthur asked, looking at her. 

“Like when you were on stage,” Kelly said. “It’ll let you cut loose and be yourself, the you I get to see behind closed doors.” She cupped his face with her hand and stroked his cheek with her thumb, stroking his cheek as she pulled herself toward him. “Besides, what better to wash away the drama than to drown with you in a dog pile of passionate women?” Kelly asked. She blushed as she asked it. “You can’t have any negative feelings when surrounded by that many women kissing you,” she said, kissing his neck. “Or doing other things to you.” She squeezed his butt. 

“That show wound you up, didn’t it?” Arthur asked, glancing behind them at the Saltwine Theater. 

Kelly laughed. “Maybe. Didn’t it affect you? Watching hot, corset-clad women dance around in ruffled booty shorts would wind up anyone’s libido. The hottest part was watching you, laughing with you, and seeing that gleeful look in your eyes in that last number. You were having so much fun. I’m sorry the show had to end, but you made my heart happy.” She touched her chest and kissed Arthur again. 

He kissed her in return, and the kiss spiked with heat as Kelly pulled herself closer to him. Her hands lingered as her fingers dipped inside his waistband. The contact of her skin against his waist and hips drove him to pull her closer, and her soft, perfect, bell-shaped breasts pressed against him as his naked thigh slid against her skirt between her legs.  

“Get a room!” Red Jenny called, teasing them as she walked past toward the main Faire. The musicians with her hooted at them as if cheering them on.  

Kelly pulled away, biting his bottom lip in a gentle grip with her teeth until she reached the end of it and released it. 

Arthur blushed, and so did Kelly, but there was no shame between them. No genuine embarrassment. The teasing was good-natured and passing. They weren’t in trouble for kissing. Still, they’d have to return to the bus or find a more private location for more than quick pecks. He could take her to the woods, further from the Faire, where they might find privacy for a quick romp. Or, to be safe, they could go to the bus. Either way, he wanted intimacy with Kelly, especially if he was going to share her with a crowd of women tonight. 

Kelly kept her eyes on his, watching him, and knowing her, she was waiting for him to suggest it. 

“Spending time with you, watching that show, must have done me more good than I thought,” Arthur said. He grinned at Kelly. “Thank you.” 

“For what?” Kelly asked. 

“Healing me,” Arthur said. “You’re always looking out for me, taking care of me and the others. You let me rest and recover, and gave me time to remember who I am, what I am, without badgering me about it.” 

“Oh? And what are you?” Kelly asked, confused. 

Arthur grinned and leaned in close, whispering his answer in Kelly’s ear. “I’m your hubby, your sir, and your master. And not just yours, but theirs too. I’m your king, and you’re mine.” 

Goosebumps rippled over Kelly’s limbs, spreading from her wrists to the rest of her body as Arthur grabbed them. 

“Come on,” Arthur said, sliding his grip from her wrist to her hand and leading her away from the trees. 

“Where are we going?” Kelly asked. She sounded excited. 

“To the bus,” Arthur answered. “I’m going to show you how thankful I am to have you in my life.” 

Kelly bit her lip as she followed. “I, uh, I still have my visitor.” 

Arthur chuckled. “I know, don’t worry, we’ll work around it.” 

“Yes, Sir,” Kelly said, obeying as she followed his lead.

Arthur led her by the hand to the path, then through it. The gates weren’t near the Saltwine Theater. They were at the other end of the grounds, but they made good time as they laughed and teased each other. Kelly held onto her hat, trotting behind Arthur as he walked with a speed that showed his determination. 

Her phone dinged, and she checked the harem chat. “Looks like Kat and Rani bought a turkey leg, and Katty and Mindy met a woman in a Snow White costume.” She showed the images to Arthur. Kat biting into a turkey leg was an amusing photo, but the Snow White made him laugh. She must’ve bought her outfit from a Halloween shop, and its cleavage-displaying bustier, short skirt, and fishnet stockings were a far cry from the costume he’d expected. 

“That puts them at five and five,” Kelly said. “Still tied.”  

The shepherdess at the gate gave Arthur a strange look as she checked their marks so they could return. “Don’t spend too long away,” she warned them. “The Faire is closing soon.” 

Kelly checked Arthur’s expression at the news, but Arthur had taken that into account. He nodded and knew how much time they had before the final joust began. 

“You call Katelyn, Katty?” Arthur asked, looking over his shoulder as he led the way to the bus. 

“Sometimes,” Kelly admitted. “It started as a joke because she can be catty in her remarks, at least when we first met, and it stuck around as a nickname, a term of endearment. It’s not an all-the-time thing, but it slips through.” 

“Gotcha,” Arthur said, nodding. He was still brainstorming harem names for Katelyn. Everyone had their own name, collar, and term for him, which had been a half-conscious effort and half-coincidence as everything came together. Yet, the more he tried to assign one to Katelyn, the less certain he became of its fit. Currently, her nickname was Pet, but he wasn’t sure how well it fit. 

“You enjoy the nickname Wifey, right?” Arthur asked. 

Kelly nodded rapidly. “Yes, very much.” 

“Okay,” Arthur said. “Just checking. I know you don’t enjoy the others calling you mistress anymore.” 

Kelly frowned. “I just don’t trust myself to know when to stop. I got carried away last night. I’m not sure I can handle the responsibility the way you do.” 

Arthur slowed their walk as he pulled Kelly closer and hugged her to him by her hips. “If that’s what worries you, I can teach you.” 

“Teach me?” Kelly asked. 

“Yeah, I’ll teach you how to dominate the others, to be the dominant mistress you enjoy being, without going overboard and neglecting or hurting your submissives,” Arthur said. “It’s difficult sometimes, but it’s essential. That way, you can submit to me and dominate the others, if you want.” 

Kelly hesitated. “I’d feel safer trying it with you there, for sure. You’d keep me in check and give me a swift spank if I stepped out of line, I imagine. But I don’t think I’d want to dominate anyone without you. At least, not for a while.” 

“I get it,” Arthur said, nodding. “I fucked up once, and stopped it all with Lori, but—” 

“You figured it out,” Kelly said. 

“Yeah,” Arthur said, nodding. He didn’t want to think of Lori. Kelly was holding his hand, ignoring the awkwardness of mentioning his ex, her ex-roommate and friend, while accompanying him to the bus. He was with Kelly, and this was her time, not Lori’s.

“For what it’s worth,” Kelly said. “I’m glad you two broke up. I know it was hard for you, and I hate her for hurting you, but if she hadn’t—” 

“Then none of this would’ve happened,” Arthur said. “Yeah. We owe her a lot. Selene said that, too.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Kelly said, “but yeah, her loss is our gain.”  

He kissed Kelly’s cheek, stopping as they arrived at the bus, and he knocked on the door, waving at Manasa. 

Manasa hopped out of the driver’s seat and opened the bus for them without a word. Arthur leaned over to Kelly. “If you want practice, ask Manasa to join us. We’ll ease you into it, but she was very submissive to Rani earlier.” 

Kelly looked at Arthur, then at Manasa. He saw Kelly’s eyes rake over the woman, taking in her form and pretty face. She looked at Arthur. 

“Only if you want to,” Arthur said. “Consider it an optional addition to my gratitude.” 

“Manasa, you joined Rani and Arthur earlier, right?” Kelly asked. 

“Yes, miss,” Manasa nodded, glancing at Arthur as if asking if she were about to be in trouble. 

“Would you like to join us on the bus?” Kelly asked. 

Manasa looked back and forth between them and nodded. “Yes, miss.” 

“You gave her safewords, right?” Kelly asked, looking at Arthur. 

“Who do you think you’re talking to?” Arthur asked, laughing. “You remember them, Manasa?” 

“Red light to stop, yellow light to check in, my king,” Manasa said. She turned her attention toward Kelly. “Should I call you my queen?” 

“No,” Kelly shook her head. “You can call me Mistress.” 

“Yes, Mistress,” Manasa said, bowing her head. 

“Good girl,” Kelly said. She looked at Arthur, who nodded his approval. She returned her attention to Manasa and pointed through the door. “Get on the bus, strip, and kneel.” 

Arthur raised an eyebrow, but Manasa didn’t ask questions or hesitate. She entered ahead of them and turned into the bus’s cabin lounge. 

“Was that too strong?” Kelly asked. 

“No,” Arthur said. “Judging from her pace and reaction, I’d say she enjoyed your delivery.” 

Kelly blushed, smiling as Arthur guided her onto the bus and followed behind her after closing the door.

~~~

“Okay, hold on to the shackles,” the wench said as she opened the can of cider. 

Kat stepped up and grabbed the shackles above the counter. She had to move on her tiptoes to do it. Rani chuckled at her expense as she recorded a video on her camera instead of taking a polished photo from the side. 

The wench behind the counter was in typical Ren Faire garb, but her top was low, and her corset was tight, showing most of her breasts. She brought her arms together under her breasts, pushing them up even further as she poured the drink past Kat’s lips. 

“Oh, that’s a good girl. That’s right, I see you know how to swallow on command. You’re doing such a good job! Just a little more for me, swallow, swallow, good girl—such a cute little thing in your pink collar and costume. Look at you, you’re adorable, and such a good swallower, I’d bet you’ve had bigger. That’s it. All done!” 

Kat was blushing a furious pink by the time she finished. The woman’s sultry tone was perfect. She knew how to get a rise out of the people watching. Kat’s eyes darted from her to the camera in Rani’s hands several times during the process. Kat wiped her mouth. 

“Tell the nice lady thank you,” Rani said. 

“Fuck you,” Kat said. “Not you,” she addressed the wench. “Thank you, I just wanted to say fuck you to my friend there.” 

The wench laughed. “I understand. Have a great day!” 

Rani grinned as she uploaded the video to the chat. 

“Okay, so what’s left?” Kat asked as she walked away to join Rani by the path. 

“Torture instrument, or Unseelie Fae,” Rani answered. 

“How far away is that medieval museum?” Kat asked, checking the map to answer her own question. It was on the other side of the Faire. Three-quarters of the way around the lake from their current position. If they followed the path, they’d come to it. “Let’s head that way. We’ll see if we can’t meet an unseelie along the way. Either way, that’ll be our seventh.” 

“Uploading your video now,” Rani said, holding up her phone. “It’s almost as hot as that Red Sonja photo. You’re cute when you blush.” 

Kat nodded, and the two followed the flow of the crowd along the path. The busy stalls had everything for sale, and people kept stopping and starting, frustrating Kat. She had to keep her eyes on those ahead of her to avoid walking straight into them.

Rani pulled her aside and pointed toward the lake. A tall man in black with a pumpkin on his head stood taking photos with a sexy Gandalf and a drag version of Sailor Moon. “There’s our unseelie!” 

Kat nodded. “Okay, let’s win this thing.” It was real now. She could see the finish line, and once she defeated Katelyn, she could claim Arthur’s bed for herself tonight, sleeping alongside him after whatever the others had planned. 

Katelyn would sleep wherever, probably with Kelly, and that was fine. There was no need to feel guilty about having more time with him. Katelyn had a lunch date and played on the bus with him on the drive to the Faire. Did she need a night in his bed more than Kat did? Maybe, but that wasn’t Kat’s fault. She didn’t make Katelyn's and Kelly’s vacation plans or dictate Arthur’s schedule. She sighed, realizing what was happening. 

Rani moved ahead of her, waiting as the group left Pumpkin Jack. “Hi! Can my friend get a picture with you?” Rani asked. She gestured to Kat, who caught up to her in time for her introduction. 

The pumpkin-headed man nodded and struck a pose. Kat glanced at Rani. She hesitated, but moved on autopilot as Rani gestured. Kat shifted to stand before Pumpkin Jack and turned to smile at the camera. Jack towered over her short frame and spread his arms like a scarecrow as his Jack-o'-lantern face loomed above her. 

“Look scared,” Rani said. “Frightened.” 

Kat frowned. “I’m not a fucking model, just take the damn picture, and let’s finish this stupid contest.” 

“Wow,” Rani said, taking the photo. “Okay, let’s uh, try one with you smiling then?” 

Kat glared at the camera. Rani snapped the photo anyway. 

“Okay, thank you, Mister, uh, Pumpkin?” 

The pumpkin man nodded and left them, walking through the crowd as people waved. He waved back to them and wandered away. 

“What crawled up your butt?” Rani asked. 

“Nothing,” Kat said.

“Liar,” Rani said. “Kat, come on, tell me what’s wrong. Don’t be a brat.” 

Kat sighed. “I just feel guilty. Katelyn has barely had any time with Arthur, and she was excited about winning the tournament. She and Kelly are going away for a few days, so this is her last chance for a while.” 

Rani stopped. Whatever she’d been expecting Kat to say, that wasn’t it. “So you want to lose?” 

“No, I want to win, but I want her to win. I hate that if I win, I’ll feel like an asshole. If she wins, I’ll feel like a loser,” Kat said. “Does that make sense?” 

Rani shook her head. “No, but kinda? Do you want me to upload this photo, or not?” 

“Hold off,” Kat said. “We’ve got time, right?” 

Rani checked the time. “Not really. We should get to the final joust. I imagine Arthur and Kelly are there waiting for everyone.” 

“Let’s get there, then,” Kat said. “If Katelyn hasn’t won the tournament by then, we’ll upload the photo.” 

“As you wish,” Rani said, playing her part as the ‘djinn.’ 

“Thanks,” Kat said, sighing. “And thanks for helping me.” 

“You’re welcome,” Rani said. “Anytime.” She looped her arm through Kat’s, and together they made their way toward the final joust. 

~~~

Katelyn looked around the museum she and Mindy walked through, arm in arm. The museum was a small, fake castle with a portcullis for a front door. After paying the ticket-taker outside the five-dollar cover charge, she found the display disappointing. The rooms were straightforward, decorated with gaudy wallpaper and Halloween props. Glass cases on tables displayed bits of iron that had once been tools or instruments of torture. 

Their authenticity was suspect, at least in Katelyn’s opinion. It was fun, though. Cheesy Halloween fun. It didn’t scare anyone but the youngest of children and was more enjoyable than frightening. 

The plaques describing the medieval witch hunts had taken Mindy’s attention, though, with pictures on the walls depicting various witch trials and burnings. 

“We would have been burned as witches in medieval times,” Mindy said. She lingered at the table with branding irons on it. 

“Oh, for sure,” Katelyn agreed. “If nothing else, we know basic math and science.” 

Mindy giggled. “I mean, if we’d been born in medieval times.” 

“Oh,” Katelyn said, not following her logic. “Why?” 

“Being bisexual,” Mindy said. She held Katelyn’s hand as if someone might burst into the room and carry her away. 

Katelyn nodded. “Well, thank God there’s no more inquisition. Hate crimes are still a thing, but we’re less likely to be burned at the stake.” 

Mindy nodded, squeezing Katelyn’s hand. They continued looking at the exhibits, wandering and walking hand-in-hand, until they came across an iron maiden. Someone had removed the internal spikes, and the front could open or close, with a sign beside it saying ‘Take your photo in the iron maiden! Torture your friends!’ 

Mindy giggled and hopped inside, closing the door behind her. Katelyn laughed and took her picture, though you couldn’t tell it was Mindy because the faceplate didn’t match up to her height well. Katelyn hopped in when she got out, and Mindy took her picture. 

They sent both of them to the harem chat before moving on. “One instrument of torture, check,” Katelyn said. “That just leaves an Unseelie Fae, right?” 

“Yeah,” Mindy said. “And a wench?” 

“Oh, Rani sent a video,” Katelyn said. 

She and Mindy exited the dungeon tour as they watched the bar wench pour a drink into Kat’s mouth. They kept the volume low, and by the end of the video, Katelyn was biting her bottom lip. “Wow, that was lewd.” 

Mindy giggled. “Are you kidding? That was tame! She didn’t even spill any. That’s nothing for our group.” 

Katelyn nodded. “Yeah, I suppose that’s true. We’ve seen hotter things happen between Kat, Arthur, and the group. Last weekend blew my mind and body a few times.” 

Mindy nodded. “And tonight will be fun, too.” 

Katelyn chuckled, blushing at the thought of it, then sobering as she realized how close they were to victory. 

“So we just need to find an unseelie fey.” Katelyn lifted her eyes to scan the crowd around the dungeon’s exit. She jumped aside as a woman in a blue outfit with a conical red hat entered her personal space. 

“And what do you want with an unseelie, lassie?” the redcap asked. “Do you wish to offer your soul for the tithe?” 

“Oh, uh, well, no, but we were hoping to take a picture?” Katelyn said, brushing her skirt and flattening it after her jump. 

The redcap grinned. “Of course.” 

“Hey! I recognize you from the stocks!” Mindy said. “You’re that redcap who had the hots for our boyfriend.” 

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” the redcap said. “I’m a professional redcap, yes, very professional.” 

“Tall guy, very muscular,” Katelyn said, reminding her of who Arthur was as she indicated his height. 

“He’s got high-def muscles,” Mindy added, posing like a bodybuilder. “Dressed as a barbarian.” 

“Bracers and a loincloth, fought in the chess match,” Katelyn said. 

“His name is Arthur,” Mindy said as recognition dawned on the redcap’s face. 

“Ah, him, yes, I know of whom ye speak. But it’s your souls I’ll be bargaining for now. Will you give me one of your souls for a, what did you call it, a picture?” 

Mindy and Katelyn shared a smile. “Are you still handing out chocolate?” 

The redcap chuckled and produced a gold-covered chocolate coin. “Of course, just make your mark upon this stone.”

She handed each of them a small gray pebble and a red marker. Katelyn used the marker first, then passed it to Mindy, and they passed it back to the redcap, who put it in a pouch on her belt. “There, now I have your souls, and you may take your gold.” She produced a fake gold foil-covered coin in her hand.  

Katelyn swiped the coin. “Okay!” 

“Aw, I wanted a coin,” Mindy pouted. 

The redcap produced another, and Mindy clapped and snatched it from her. She was halfway through unwrapping it when the redcap cleared their throat. 

“Um, your picture?” the redcap asked. 

“Right!” Katelyn shoved the chocolate coin into her mouth and kept a closed-mouth smile as Mindy, with her coin between her teeth, snapped a pic with her phone. “Thanks!” 

“No problem!” The redcap said, moving two pebbles from the ground into her bag. “And remember, I now have your souls, no takesbacksies.” 

Mindy giggled as the redcap ran away. 

“Don’t upload that yet,” Katelyn said, putting her hand over Mindy’s phone as Mindy was doing just that. 

“What?” Mindy asked. “Why not? If I upload it, you win.” 

Katelyn nodded. “No, I know, but I’ve had enough fun hanging out with everybody and seeing the Faire today. I don’t need to win the tournament. Honestly, it’s a fluke that I’ve gotten this far.” 

“But you’re so competitive, I don’t understand,” Mindy said. “Do you not want to spend the night with Arthur?” 

“I do,” Katelyn said. “It’d be nice to cuddle him to fall asleep, but Kat needs that more than I do. She’s had a rough day, and she and Arthur have been through it. She should share his bed tonight, not me.” 

“Aw,” Mindy said, hugging Katelyn. “That’s so sweet!” 

Katelyn blushed, hugging Mindy. 

“I won’t send it,” Mindy said. “But I think it’s okay if you win. Kat won’t hold it against you, of all people. She might’ve held it against Rani or Selene if they’d won, but she likes you.” 

Katelyn chuckled. “Thanks. But no, I’m good with it. She deserves happiness tonight, and if that orgy happens, she could use the one-on-one attention from our boyfriend.” 

Mindy nodded. “I hope the orgy happens. It’d be fun.” 

Katelyn hoped so, too. Her only experience with orgies was the harem-only orgy they had last weekend. What Rani had outlined for tonight sounded different. Still fun, but more for the women who loved women without knowing them. Katelyn preferred to know the people she loved, even if she didn’t know them very well. She was getting there, though. She and Arthur were growing closer, and she was getting to know the harem. Spending this time with Mindy had been a blast. 

“So, what’s next?” Mindy asked, looking at Katelyn for the answer. 

Katelyn pulled out her phone. “Looks like the final joust is next on the schedule. We should head to the stadium. I think the others are meeting us there. Kelly’s probably there, though she and Arthur haven’t been in the chat.” 

“Come on then,” Mindy said, waving for her to follow. “It’s not far!”

~~~

Kelly and Arthur entered the lounge to find Manasa standing in her panties, taking off her bra. Her light brown skin contrasted with the darker color of her nipples, and her heavy breasts bounced as she turned to face them. Kelly wet her lips.

“Eager?” Kelly asked, smiling as she waited for Arthur. 

Manasa blushed, but nodded. “Yes, Mistress.” 

Arthur guided Kelly to the bench. She set her bag down beside her, and Arthur sat on her other side with his arm around Kelly. They watched Manasa fold her bra, then slip off her panties, fold them, and add them to the folded pile of clothes on the bench across from them. She faced them, knelt, and bowed her head. 

“Such a good girl,” Arthur said. “But then, so are you. I’m proud of you for giving this a try.” He kissed Kelly, making out with her on the bench. She moaned into the kiss as his hands slipped to the hooks on her corset. He unhooked them one by one, wandering lower until her corset snapped off, leaving her white off-the-shoulder peasant top tucked into her skirt. 

Kelly gasped as his hand slipped under her top from above, groping her bell-shaped breast and tenting the fabric over her other nipple. She reached for his crotch, only to find the loincloth and leather briefs in her way. Arthur’s eyes glanced toward Manasa. 

“Manasa, why don’t you help my husband remove his costume? Take off his loincloth,” Kelly said. 

“Yes, Mistress,” Manasa said, standing on her knees and reaching over Arthur’s lap. 

Arthur raised his hips, and Manasa tugged on either side of his loincloth, sliding it down his legs and freeing his erection. She wet her lips, but waited for further instructions. 

“You want to suck his cock?” Kelly asked, watching Manasa’s face. 

“Yes, Mistress,” Manasa answered, not looking at either of them. 

“Are you into women, Manasa?” Kelly asked. 

“Yes, Mistress,” Manasa said. “More than men, if I’m honest.” 

“Ask her what her limits are,” Arthur said. “You should always establish those with the safewords. Even if I know them, you should know them too.” 

“What are your limits?” Kelly asked. 

“No blood or fluids. I don’t mind roughness, but don’t hurt or injure me. I’m more of a beginner, and no spanking or hurting my ass because I have to sit for my job,” Manasa explained. 

“What about your breasts?” Kelly asked. “They’re gorgeous, but if you need a good punishment…” 

“They’re sensitive, Mistress,” Manasa said, putting her hands over them. “Playing with them gives intense pleasure, but hurting them is beyond painful.” She looked between Kelly and Arthur. “Have I displeased you?” 

“No,” Kelly said. “Just curious.” 

“Would you like to play with her breasts?” Arthur asked, gesturing toward them. 

Manasa understood his meaning and sat back on her heels, lifting her breasts and holding them in her hands to present them to Kelly. 

Kelly pressed her palm against Manasa’s tit. She groped her, squeezing her breast and making Manasa blush until she moaned. Kelly added a second hand, mirroring her first hand while she played with Manasa. 

Manasa’s lips parted in ecstasy, and she released a rising chorus of pleasurable moans at Kelly’s attention. Arthur sat with his dick as hard as iron while he watched them. With Kelly leaning forward, he moved his hand to her thigh, squeezing to encourage her.

“Oh, you are a good girl,” Kelly said. 

“Th–thank you, Mistress,” Manasa said, stuttering her way through pleasure.

“How wet are you?” Kelly asked. 

Instead of answering, Manasa put her hands behind her, giving Kelly access to her as she spread her knees. Kelly slid her hands along Manasa’s torso until she reached her crotch, then dipped her fingers between her legs and spread her lower lips. She slid her fingers against Manasa’s labia and drew slick fingers away as she sat back and tasted them. 

“Mm,” Kelly hummed. “She’s delicious.” 

“Thank you, Mistress,” Manasa said. 

“Shh,” Kelly said. “I wasn’t talking to you. Another word out of you, and we’ll have to gag you.” 

Manasa gulped and nodded. 

Kelly repeated the motion, dipping her hand into Manasa, rubbing, caressing, and stroking her pussy until she pulled slick fingers away from her and offered them to Arthur. 

Arthur licked her fingers, tasting Manasa’s arousal as if it were a fine wine. She was sweet and unique, but it was the scent on Kelly’s fingers that drove him wild. Whatever pheromones or chemical mixture was in a woman’s arousal, there was nothing quite like smelling it to make any hard-on harder. 

“Do you want to fuck her?” Kelly asked.

“If I wanted to fuck her, I’d be balls deep in her right now,” Arthur said. “This is for you, darling.”  

Kelly licked the rest of Manasa off her fingers while maintaining eye contact with Arthur. She let her tongue do the work, licking and encircling her fingers as if they were something far more phallic. 

“I was thinking of offering her to you,” Kelly said. “Since I’m out of commission.” 

“Well, we have towels and condoms, if you’re worried,” Arthur said. “I don’t mind. Or, there’s always anal.” 

Kelly lowered her eyes to his cock with alarm. “I’d need to prepare, and we’d need a lot of lube on that condom.” 

“That’s fine,” Arthur said. “But maybe we’ll save that for later since we’re short on time.” 

Kelly nodded. “So what should we do, Master?” 

“Manasa, fetch a strap-on from the trunk for your mistress to wear,” Arthur said without hesitation. “Wifey, put it on, then sit on my lap as if I’m your chair,” Arthur instructed. 

Kelly looked confused, but nodded, standing while Manasa crawled to the traveler’s trunk full of the harem’s BDSM gear. She returned with a moderately sized strap-on dildo and sucked it as if she were sucking a cock while bringing it to Kelly. 

“Put it on,” Arthur instructed. “But keep it in her mouth while you do.” 

Kelly grinned at him. She stood, removed her hat and her shirt, leaving her topless as she shimmied out of her skirt. She put her hat back on. That left her in the hat, her boots, her three-strand pearl choker, and a pair of black shorts. Black shorts that hugged every curve of her ass and hips but didn’t touch her thighs or reach her waist. 

Manasa’s eyes went wide as they roamed Kelly’s freckled flesh. Her sun-kissed skin was still fair, but Arthur imagined her freckles had darkened from the sun on her shoulders and chest over the day. Her abs and breasts were on full display as she fastened the belt and thigh straps. The molded piece on the inside ensured she’d receive her clitoral pleasure as she pleasured Manasa. The device hugged her ass, pushing her sculpted glutes up further. 

Arthur groped her butt, unable to resist. 

Kelly pushed her butt toward him. Manasa leaned forward, desperate to keep the attached dildo in her mouth. Kelly pushed her hips forward, sliding into Manasa’s throat. She swallowed, then Kelly moved her hips back to Arthur’s waiting palm, letting Manasa breathe. Kelly slid it back and forth several times, letting Manasa get the dildo wet and ready. Arthur guided her thrusts with his hand, then pulled Kelly onto his lap. 

She squeaked with surprise as she fell, but he controlled her descent and lowered her. She sat in his lap, leaning against his abs with her head beside his. “Try not to mess my hair up too much, dear.” 

“No promises,” Arthur said, running his hands along her torso to fondle her breasts. 

Kelly moaned as he played with her, as she played with Manasa. Meanwhile, Manasa rocked her head back and forth, giving the dildo a blowjob. 

“Straddle your mistress,” Arthur instructed. “Let her fuck you.” 

Manasa lifted her head from Kelly’s strap-on. “Yes, my king.” She stood, holding on to Kelly as Kelly held on to her. Manasa straddled her and Arthur as she sank onto Kelly’s dildo. She closed her eyes and moaned, her arms around both of them. 

“Are we crushing you, my king?” Manasa asked. 

“No,” Arthur said, lifting them both as he clenched his glutes and raised his thighs. With his feet planted on the floor, it was a matter of his core muscles. He couldn’t sustain such a position indefinitely, but it was enough to show both that they weren’t an uncomfortable burden. 

He settled against the bench in a reclined position, holding Kelly and playing with her breast in one hand, and Manasa’s in the other, each facing opposite directions. He lifted his hips again, which made Kelly lift hers, which made Manasa gasp and close her eyes in pleasure. 

Kelly rocked her hips, pressing against the base of his erection with every withdrawal, and thrusting upward into Manasa as Kelly kissed her neck. She and Manasa kissed, necked, and groped, while Arthur groped and kissed Kelly’s back, collarbone, and shoulders. He bit her collarbone, and Manasa followed his lead and did the same on the other side, making Kelly moan as her hands twitched, grasping for Arthur’s hands. He held her, pushing upward as Manasa slammed downward. The result was an implosion in Kelly as the strap-on’s internal bumps pressed Kelly’s clit into overdrive while Arthur’s dick pressed against her from below. Manasa stiffened as Kelly leaned forward and bit her breast, leaving a mark on her even as Manasa threw her head back and moaned. 

“Ride him,” Kelly said, panting as she tapped Manasa’s thigh. 

Manasa shifted, stood up, and Kelly slid to the side. She cuddled against Arthur, holding his arm and resting her head on his shoulder. Kelly’s eyes dipped to his dick, then looked at Manasa. “Ride him.” 

“Yes, Mistress,” Manasa said, producing a condom and rolling it over Arthur’s shaft. She stroked him several times, but she didn’t need to bother. His erection wasn’t fading. Still, she met his eyes and checked with him before climbing on. 

Arthur nodded. “Do you remember your safeword?” 

“Yes, my king, it’s not that. I wanted to make sure you approved,” Manasa said. 

“I appreciate that more than you know,” Arthur said, nodding. “Now do as your mistress tells you.” 

“Yes, my king,” Manasa said. She straddled him, putting her knee between his thigh and Kelly’s, and lowered herself onto his erect cock. She breathed through her nose, puffing as she settled, making sure she took as much of him as she could. The inside of her was slick, flooded with arousal. She squeezed her core as she rocked back and forth in tiny, almost undetectable movements. 

Arthur lifted his hips, and Manasa pressed her hands against his chest. She moved her left hand to his shoulder to stabilize herself, and Kelly took her other hand, holding it. He grabbed Manasa’s breasts that hung before his face, and sucked one into his mouth, teasing her nipple with his tongue. He drew shapes with his tongue, caressing the underside of her breast as it slid from his mouth, then flicking her nipple with it when it returned. 

Manasa moaned, then moved her hands to his hair, grabbing his scalp and holding on as he thrust upward and into her again. 

“Mm,” Arthur grunted, moving to Manasa’s other breast to repeat his play. 

Manasa grunted as she rolled her hips, dropping to meet him as he thrust into her again. “FUCK!” she yelled, though she wasn’t angry or in pain. 

“Are you going to let her cum?” Kelly asked, watching Manasa through half-lidded eyes as she asked Arthur. “You’re being too gentle with her.” 

“Is that right?” Arthur looked from Kelly to Manasa for confirmation. 

Manasa, her eyes closed, nodded. 

“Well, we can fix that,” Arthur said, sliding his hands to Manasa’s hips. 

“Hold on to the bar,” Arthur said, gesturing to the bar above the benches. “Wifey, why don’t you stand behind her? Give her your support?” 

“Manasa, in the list of limits you gave, I didn’t hear you list anal,” Kelly said, curious. 

“No, my queen. I’ve prepped and prepared for it, though our king is too big to—ah—” She gasped as Arthur thrust upward. “Take comfortably.” 

“Perfect,” Kelly said, winking at them as she walked away toward the trunk. She returned with a condom and lube, which she set on her strap-on. She squatted behind Manasa, lining up with her as she put one hand on her shoulder. “Good girl.” 

Manasa gasped, and her upper body shook as Kelly pushed inside her. Arthur groaned, clenching his fists as Kelly’s strap-on pressed against the underside of his cock with Manasa’s flesh separating them. 

“Fuck, that feels weird,” Arthur said, gritting his teeth. 

“Bad weird?” Kelly asked, pausing. 

“No, just weird,” Arthur said, unsure how to describe it. It was as if something stiff and flat was pressing against his cock’s underside while he buried himself inside Manasa. 

Manasa’s clenching redoubled on both the dildo in her ass and Arthur’s cock in her vagina. No words issued from her lips, though. She moaned, groaned, whined, and hummed in interrupted rhythms between twitches, convulsions, and moments of clenching stillness. The poor woman short-circuited, unsure how to respond to the overwhelming stimuli flooding her brain. 

“I think we broke her,” Arthur said. He slid his hand to her folds and met Kelly’s fingers on her clit. Their fingers intertwined, trapping Manasa’s clit between them and applying pressure from different directions. 

Manasa’s closed eyes clenched harder as her body trembled and then erupted. A sudden movement, a sudden flex, whatever it was in the cacophony of motion, set her off, and Arthur winced as she screamed her release. He held still, bracing against the fluttering spasms inside her that pushed him toward the edge. Realizing that he didn’t have to hold back, he let himself relax and released his orgasm into her. 

Arthur sagged against the bench, wiping the sweat from his brow. He didn’t feel tired, though. Not with two naked, lovely women joining his recovery. Kelly stepped away, cleaning the strap-on with a disposable wipe from her purse. She had more, using them after she removed the strap-on, then closed the bathroom door behind her with her purse in tow. 

Arthur held Manasa, letting her relax as she caught her breath. Kelly sat next to Arthur when she emerged from the bathroom and helped Manasa from his lap when she was ready to move. They sat beside him, and he sat with an arm around each of them, rubbing their arms. 

“Good girls,” he said, soothing and calm. “Did you enjoy that?” 

“Yes, Sir,” Kelly said, chuckling. “Did you?” 

“Oh yeah,” Arthur said, taking a deep breath. “That was hot.” 

Manasa sighed. “I guess I can’t quit my job, enroll in college, and join your harem, can I?” 

Arthur chuckled. “Are you asking me? Or is that rhetorical?” 

“Rhetorical,” Manasa assured him. She patted his thigh. “The dick is good, but not moving across the country to date a guy just because Rani likes him, good.”

Kelly chuckled. “The vetting helps, though, right?” 

Manasa gave a dry laugh. “Yeah. And how many women are giving you their seal of approval? Six? Over six? And all of them five stars.” 

“I’ve never known a woman to walk away from a rendezvous with Arthur unsatisfied,” Kelly said. “You should have heard how Lori sang his praises.” 

“You’ve got better ratings as a boyfriend than I’ve got as a chauffeur, and I’m a good chauffeur,” Manasa said. 

“A great chauffeur, though I hope you don’t offer every customer this service,” Kelly said, chuckling. 

Manasa frowned. “Of course not, I’m not a prostitute.” 

“Oh, no, I didn’t mean it that way. Of course you don’t, is what I’m saying,” Kelly said, trying to explain herself. 

“She didn’t mean to imply that you were a prostitute,” Arthur said, intervening. “We know you’re only doing this because you want to, and you’re friends with Rani, and it helps you fulfill a fantasy.” 

“Exactly,” Kelly said. “It helped me fulfill a fantasy, too. Thank you, Manasa.” 

Manasa settled, closing her eyes as she rested her head against Arthur’s chest, letting her eyelashes sweep his skin. “It’s okay,” she said. 

Arthur held them a while longer, letting them recover and recuperate despite the energy coursing through him. He wanted to get up, but he didn’t want to be rude to Manasa. She was still recovering from her overstimulation. 

“Are you okay, by the way?” Arthur asked, nudging Manasa. “Did you enjoy Kelly’s use of the strap-on?” 

“Oh, yeah,” Manasa said. “That was intense, but wonderful.”  

“Good,” Kelly said, smiling. “I enjoyed it too.” 

“Me three,” Arthur said, raising his hand. “But we should clean up and get back to the Faire soon, if you’re both okay to move. I don’t want to rush the aftercare, and we should drink water or a smoothie, but the Faire closes soon.” 

“Crud muffins,” Kelly said, curling up from her seat. “The others are probably wondering where we are.”

~~~

“Where the fuck are they?” Rani asked, looking at Kat, as if she knew. 

Crowds packed the outdoor jousting stadium, with everyone trying to see the final show. Well, everyone who wasn’t doing their last-minute shopping or leaving early. 

There were always those who decided to ‘beat the rush’ by leaving early. This created the early departure paradox, in which those seeking to avoid parking lot gridlock created it themselves. It gummed up the works when too many people had a good idea at once.

Rani, Kat, Katelyn, Mindy, Selene, and Yvonne sat in the back row of the joust toward the end of the field. Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen had gotten there early and had front-row seats across from the Queens in their midfield box. 

Yvonne didn’t know where Arthur and Kelly were, but she assumed they were walking around the Faire somewhere, enjoying themselves. It was weird that they hadn’t arrived for the final joust, though. Or they were somewhere else in the crowd, but no amount of head-scanning produced Arthur or Kelly to her eyes. 

“I don’t know,” Kat answered. “Should we be worried?” 

“They’re on the bus,” Selene said. “Right? Kelly hasn’t had a turn yet today. She and Arthur could use the one-on-one time.” 

“Should we go check?” Yvonne asked. “You said they had karaoke, right? Arthur could be boring her to death with his show tunes.” 

The girls laughed, not attempting to cover it from the people seated around them. They weren’t laughing at her, but at what she’d said, as if she’d made a joke. She didn’t get it. She’d done karaoke with Arthur and the Theater Club. He had range, and it was easy to lose track of time. 

“If they’re on the bus, he’s not the one making noise,” Rani said, giving Yvonne a suggestive eyebrow waggle. 

“Oh,” Yvonne said, though the meaning took its time registering. “Oh!” 

“Yeah, we should stay here,” Katelyn said. “I’m not sure Kelly would appreciate anyone walking in on her and Arthur fucking each other silly.” 

Mindy giggled. “Language.”

Yvonne turned away, blushing as she ignored them to watch the joust where Sir Percival, of Queen Elizabeth’s Knights, crossed lances with Sir Rhymer, of the unseelie court. 

“Neither of them responded to the last few photos,” Kat pointed out. 

“Which was right around when the Naughty Gals show ended,” Rani said. 

“So they went to the bus,” Selene said. 

“I can call Kelly,” Katelyn said. “She must have turned off her notifications.” 

“Signal is spotty near the bus,” Rani said. 

“More evidence in favor of the bus!” Selene said. “I’m telling you, when the bus is rocking, don’t go knocking.” 

“You’re such a pervert,” Yvonne said, drawing their attention to her again. “I mean, not in a bad way. I’m just saying that just because they aren’t answering their phones doesn’t mean they’re screwing. They might be enjoying a nice dinner, talking, or watching whatever show followed the Naughty Gals. There’s more to life than sex, right?” 

“Is there?” Rani asked, making the others laugh. “Should we check whichever theater the Naughty Gals did their show at?”

“If they were anywhere else, one of them would have responded,” Katelyn said. “Kelly likes to check in. The only time she goes radio silent is when she’s with Arthur.” 

“That’s probably the only time any of us put our phones away,” Selene said. She snapped a photo as the two knights slammed their lances against their opponent’s shield midway in the arena. The crowd gasped as Sir Rhymer fell from his horse and rolled to his feet, drawing his sword while Sir Percival dismounted. Attendants cleared the horses away, and the knights charged each other, engaging in a staged fight for the sake of honor, glory, and their queens. 

“This has been fun,” Katelyn said, watching the fight. “The shows are surprisingly good.” 

“Right?” Yvonne asked, gasping with the rest as Sir Percival stabbed Sir Rhymer with his longsword. At least, that’s how it looked to the crowd. The unseelie knight fell to the ground, and Sir Percival raised his sword to their cheers. 

“It’s been nice,” Rani said. “But I’m looking forward to the adults-only portion, and the rest of tonight.” 

The queens on stage began arguing over the results of their day-long contest. Percival had defeated Rhymer, but the “souls” the unseelie collected outweighed the candy gathered by the Faire-goers. The other games devolved into arguments, turning into a fistfight between Elizabeth and Nicneven until Sir Hatton and the Pumpkin Jack intervened, and the two fell into a fight themselves. They wrestled and fell off the stage, smashing the pumpkin over Jack’s head to reveal his true identity: Lord Robert Dudley. 

In smashing the pumpkin, Hatton had undone the curse, reuniting Elizabeth with her great love. She kissed him, and Nicneven admitted her defeat, withdrawing her court from the Faire. Thus ended the day’s storyline, and the crowd dispersed as Elizabeth thanked everyone for coming. 

“What’d we miss?” Kelly asked as she and Arthur joined the bench. 

“The show,” Rani answered deadpan. “What took you so long?” 

Kelly feigned innocence. “I don’t know what you mean.” 

The girls chuckled, casting their glances at Arthur as if it were his fault. 

“Arthur saw the show was underway, and he wouldn’t let us enter the stands and disrupt anything until it was over,” Kelly admitted. 

Yvonne chuckled. That sounded like Arthur. He’d enforce theater rules even though this outdoor stadium was far from a typical theater. She looked at Arthur, but his eyes were on the field and the crowd, watching the crowd surge away. 

“We have to go back outside for the adults-only night, right?” Selene asked. 

“Yeah, they want everyone to line up by the gates,” Arthur said. “I figured we’d give the crowd a chance to get ahead of us.” 

“Makes sense,” Rani said. “Should I text anyone to see if they’ll be around tonight?” 

Arthur and Rani shared a look that Yvonne couldn’t decipher, but Arthur nodded. “Yes, but I want to do it as you described: each guy in his own room, that kind of thing.” 

“I’ll send the invites,” Rani said.

The orgy. Yvonne couldn’t bring herself to look at Arthur. He didn’t want her to join them, and that tore her heart. Her heart constantly flickered between hating him for being so cruel and wanting to throw her arms around him and beg him to take her. Love was a cruel bitch, and lust was her twisted sister. Neither of them left Yvonne alone, but at least her abstinence wasn’t a condition of her penance tonight. If things went well and Arthur was in a good mood, he might let her join. 

No. Arthur wouldn’t make love to her tonight. She knew it wasn’t the right time. She didn’t want her first night with him to be in an orgy. If she did that, she’d be a guest, forever an outsider to the harem. Yvonne refused to be a casual fling he could lay and forget. Still, at that moment, she knew what she wanted. She had to find her way into Arthur’s heart and his harem. One day. Somehow. But she had to take her time and proceed with caution. 

Arthur caught her eye and gave her a small smile. “Come on, everyone, let’s join the line.”

He led the way, and the others followed. Kelly and Rani were beside him, holding his hands. Kat, Katelyn, Mindy, and Selene walked behind them, with Yvonne behind them, on her own. 

“So, you’re still tied?” Kelly asked, looking between them for an answer. “How is that possible?” 

“Yeah, Kat, how is that possible?” Rani asked, an edge in her voice as she poked Kat in the ribs with her elbow.

Kat sighed. “I don’t know, Rani, it’s just how it played out. Right?” 

“Well, Yvonne and I found thirteen. It couldn’t have been that hard to find seven,” Selene said. 

“It wasn’t!” Mindy said, which earned her a harsh glare from Katelyn. 

“What’s going on?” Kelly asked. “Kat? Katelyn? Do either of you want to explain?” 

Neither woman answered Kelly, looking anywhere but at her. 

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Rani said, sighing. “We found seven, but Kat didn’t want to upload the last photo. She wanted to let Katelyn win since she hadn’t had an overnight stay with just her and Arthur before.” 

“Ha!” Mindy laughed. “Katelyn did the same thing! She wanted Kat to win so they could patch things up after Angie.”

Katelyn shushed Mindy, but she was far too late.  

“What?” Kelly asked, looking between the two of them. 

Arthur laughed, drawing their attention. “What?” He asked, surprised. “Look, Katelyn: Kat and I are okay. We’ve apologized to each other more than enough today. We’re not in danger of damaging our relationship. Kat, I appreciate you looking out for Katelyn. I need to spend time with her, but it’s not like we’re going to be alone for the night. The prize is sharing the bed, right?” 

The others nodded. 

“So it’s a tie,” Arthur declared. “You’ll both share my bed tonight.” 

“But—” Kat protested. 

“Did I stutter?” Arthur asked, cutting Kat off. The tone in his voice was so authoritative that the group stopped, watching him turn and face Kat and Katelyn. 

“What?” Kat asked, surprised. “No. You didn’t. But—” 

“Then say ‘thank you, sir’ and let’s be done with it. I made the call. Unless you’d like to press your luck and challenge my decision?” Arthur asked. 

Kat’s eyes narrowed. Yvonne thought she might challenge him, but the light in Arthur’s eyes was too amused. He was enjoying her reaction too much, and even Yvonne saw he had something planned in case Kat argued with him. 

“No, Sir,” Kat said, snappish. “Thank you, Sir.” 

“We’ll work on your mocking tone later, Brat,” Arthur said, smiling widely. 

Kelly and Rani stepped away, letting Arthur offer Kat and Katelyn his hands. Katelyn took it after checking with Kelly that it was okay. Kat took his other hand, rolling her eyes as she stepped next to him. Rani rejoined Mindy, and Kelly linked her arm through Mindy’s other arm. Selene fell back to walk beside Yvonne, smiling as she watched the others. 

“Thank you, Big D,” Katelyn said. She kissed his cheek, making Yvonne turn away and ignore the molten core inside her. 

She’d argued with Arthur plenty of times, but he’d never taken that tone with her, or exuded that level of confident authority. Had he had that in him the whole time? Was that how he was with his girlfriends? 

“You’re not going to kiss my cheek?” Arthur asked Kat as they resumed walking. 

“Well, bend down if you want a kiss. Otherwise, you’d have to pick me up.” Kat said, grumbling as she said it, then squealing as Arthur scooped her up in his arms and lifted her into the air. He kissed her, and she kissed him as she settled her arms around his neck. He set her down again and patted her butt as they walked before he retook her hand. 

“All things considered, today’s been a good day,” Arthur said. 

“Yeah,” Rani agreed. “And it’s gonna be a hot night.”