Harem House Chapter 49

The line outside the Ren Faire wasn’t as long as Arthur predicted. Most attendees had departed for the evening, though more were still exiting the gates. Families and those with children left while attendants in the parking lot guided the lumbering vehicles out of the field. Car exhaust was heavy in the air, but tolerable at a distance. 

Dusk had crept across the sky until the stars came out, twinkling above them. The late October evening grew dark early. Lights from the shops in the fairgrounds illuminated the world behind the gates. Headlights illuminated the parking lot behind them. The crowd was waiting under the resulting twilight as the night cooled.

The bus remained where it was. Arthur and his girlfriends stood in line much like they had that morning, but closer to the gates this time. He estimated that twenty percent of the day’s attendees remained for the after-hours ‘adults only’ event. Hundreds had dwindled to dozens, a more manageable number than the day crowd.

From what he saw, the crowd spanned age groups, including college-age attendees like himself, twenty-somethings, and older folks who must’ve been in their sixties or older. The younger outnumbered the older, but the older had better costumes and gear. The people who remained were enthusiasts, though. Everyone was in costume, and many, like the harem’s, were risque. 

Arthur wondered how different the Faire was now from when it had started. He didn’t doubt events like this had changed over the years. Still, he’d seen too many pre-code movies to imagine the past was as wholesome as some elders claimed. To say nothing of factual history.

It made him wonder how long Angela had been coming to the Faire and whether she was part of the older crowd. She seemed surprised but accepting of their polyamory, but her experience with such things was from decades prior. She’d rejoined the monogamists. As dramatic as their group was, Arthur didn’t think he could be monogamous again. Sure, it was chaotic and exhausting, but he loved each of his girlfriends. 

It amused him to realize that his generation hadn’t invented the concept of ethical non-monogamy. Still, considering that earlier generations were just as sexual as he and his girlfriends were was odd. He preferred not to imagine whether his parents had ever attended such an event.

Katelyn kissed his cheek, surprising him. He had his left arm around her, with his hand on her hip. Kat filled the gap under his right arm, and he kept his hand on her waist. Selene stood in front of him, chatting with Yvonne, discussing film musicals versus film recordings of stage productions. Kelly, Mindy, and Rani were behind them, reviewing the photos they’d taken throughout the day. 

“What was that for?” Arthur asked. 

Katelyn grinned. “You looked cute, and I wanted attention.” 

Arthur laughed. “Well, there’s only so much attention I can give you while we’re in line.” 

“I’ll take it,” Katelyn said, squeezing his butt. 

Arthur clenched reflexively, making Katelyn giggle. He tickled her side, and her giggles bloomed into laughter as she clenched and squeezed against the playful assault of his fingers against her ticklish waist. She bent away from him, pushing her soft ass against his hip. The bell on her collar jingled with her tinkling laughter, and Arthur relented, letting her straighten. Her face was red, and she kept her eyes low as she stuck her tongue out at him. 

“Don’t even think about tickling me,” Kat said, keeping her tone flat and heavy. “She might enjoy it, but I don’t.” 

“Oh, don’t worry,” Arthur said to Kat. “We discussed it when we reviewed your list, remember? Sensation play was a yes. Tickling was a no.”

Kat raised an eyebrow, softening her frown. “Honestly, I’m impressed you can keep us and our limits straight.” 

“Well, having a documented list helps, and referencing it now and again,” Arthur said. “But we still haven’t gone over your list.” He looked at Katelyn, then glanced around them. They were in public, but they weren’t drawing any attention with their antics. At least, no more than usual. 

Everyone surrounding them remained focused on their own worlds. The armored knight and sexy druidess ahead of them were both on their phones. The mushroom girl and the female satyr behind them were deep in conversation. They might get away with reviewing a kink list, but he wasn’t sure how long they had before the event opened. Besides, he didn’t want to pull out his phone and record every answer while they were standing around so many people. 

Once they had more privacy, he agreed he needed to figure out what Katelyn’s preferences were so he could abide by them like he did the others. Heck, even reviewing the list with the others might be a good idea. They’d done a few things on it and had more experience with their preferences. Selene’s list needed updating, regardless. It might even be a good idea for him to fill it out and share his preferences with the others. 

Heck, if he were to go that route, it might be worth updating the list itself. He’d been using the one he and Lori had made, a checklist of things to try. His relationships with the harem had grown well beyond that, and there were more things to do with a group. He should adjust the list to account for that. Selene would want to try things that weren’t even on the list, and he needed to prepare for that eventuality. 

Katelyn kissed his cheek again. “Hey, Big D, you went away again. Are you still with us?” 

Arthur blinked. “Yeah, sorry, just thinking about the checklist. I might need to update it and get everyone’s answers again.” 

“That sounds like something for the next group meeting,” Kelly said. “I’ll add it to the agenda.” 

Arthur looked over at her and nodded. “Not a bad idea. I’ll edit the list before then. Meanwhile, you and I can go over the list in a less public setting,” he said to Katelyn. “I don’t want to embarrass you when we’re surrounded by strangers.” 

Katelyn nodded. “I appreciate that. For the record, though,” she moved to her toes and whispered in his ear, “I don’t hate tickling. I mean, I hate it, but I don’t hate it, you know? It’s fun, so long as you don’t mind me tickling you in return. It can be intimate under the right circumstances. The right spots, the right clenches, and squeezes have almost made me orgasm from it before.” 

She returned to the flats of her feet, and Arthur kissed her on the cheek. “I’ll keep that in mind.” 

Katelyn blushed but swallowed and shifted her stance so she pressed more firmly against Arthur’s side. Her wing slipped behind his arm, and he hugged her to his side. She squeezed his butt again, leaving it there without apology, but he didn’t mind. Rani, Mindy, and Kelly stood behind them, blocking most people’s view, and it was still outside his loincloth. 

Yvonne, ahead of them, didn’t comment on their back-and-forth. He was glad to see her and Selene getting along again. Still, he had to wonder why Yvonne hadn’t opted to hang with the Theater Club, which was ahead of them in line by several groups. 

Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen had started the day with them but became more independent as the day continued. He supposed that was his fault. Not that he was interested in intimacy with them, but they were still his friends. Guilt gnawed at him for ditching them throughout the day to deal with relationship drama and another bully from high school. 

He hoped Angie and her family had left with the day crowd. They were over eighteen, so it wasn’t as if they couldn’t attend tonight, but he hoped they didn’t. He might owe Angie an apology for how he handled things today, and he had to forgive her for his sake. But he’d be glad not to deal with it tonight. Tonight was for him and his girlfriends. 

Mark and Brad’s girlfriends distracted them, as Arthur’s distracted him. Guy’s night had been an utter failure. He loved his girlfriends, but he missed his friends. He wasn’t sure he appreciated how weird his romantic relationships made his friendships with other women.

Once word got out on campus, everyone responded differently. Sara and Tara at the office became much more flirty, to an uncomfortable degree, especially after his promotion. Other women in the office and on campus acted scared of him, as if he were a hair’s breadth from grabbing them and carrying them off to his apartment. A handful even appeared to want that. He missed the days when the most attention he received from anyone was a passing glance, and not a glance followed by wide eyes and whispers to their friends. 

The women had it worse, he supposed, but the Faire had been a pleasant break. Those who’d learned about their polyamory had accepted it here. It was almost as if the unconventional nature of the Faire folk spread to other aspects of life. Yet that didn’t prevent things from being weird, even among his closest friends. 

The idea of having a game night with his friends was a great one. Except that with his girlfriends in attendance, he worried Maria and the others would assume he was suggesting an orgy. He wasn’t. He missed being able to hang out with his friends without worrying that they might mistake his invitation for flirtation. It made him nervous to interact with Maria, Jen, and other women who might get the wrong idea. 

Not that he opposed the harem having occasional guests. But was normalcy such a terrible desire? Did every event need to become sexual? Ever since the harem started, things had been weird on campus, and even off campus, they remained strange. 

Women he had never considered were eyeing him as if he were a prize to be won. That flattered him and boosted his ego, but it was strange. He’d received attention from women over the years, but even when he was with Lori, it hadn’t been to this extent. 

Then again, maybe Lori had sheltered him from the worst of it. She could be aggressive around other women, and Arthur had put together a few puzzle pieces of incidents that he realized were Lori keeping interested women away from him. 

He supposed he should thank her for that, and for breaking his heart, but that was yet another task he relegated to the future. She’d messaged him a few times that day, and he hadn’t responded. He was busy. He squeezed the girls in his arms, hugging them close. Katelyn kept her hand on his butt, while Kat had her hand on his opposite hip, just above his loincloth’s waistline. The skin-to-skin contact with Kat made his heart pump faster, and her electric touch was nearly as thrilling as her smirk as she turned toward him. 

Arthur kissed Kat’s forehead, and Kat melted against him. He almost laughed. She reacted well to the last time he’d kissed her forehead, too, and he suspected he’d discovered a cheat code with his brat. Forehead kisses melted her, and he made a note not to overuse or abuse the power over her. 

“Hey!” Rani called out. “Hallie! Over here!” 

Arthur turned to see her waving at someone as they left the Ren Faire. They were walking away from the gates toward the back of the adults-only line. The curvy woman in the Red Sonja cosplay was hot, with soft curves spilling from her scale-mail bra and the sides of her scale-mail loincloth. 

Kat surprised Arthur by waving at her as well, and Red Sonja’s face lit up with recognition as soon as she spotted Rani and Kat. 

“Hey, Rani, right?” Red Sonja asked as she approached. “Am I pronouncing that correctly? I’m sorry if I butchered it earlier.” 

“You didn’t! And you remember Kat, of course.” Rani gestured to her. “The barbarian she’s clinging to is our boyfriend Arthur. We mentioned him earlier.” 

“Yeah,” Red Sonja said, nodding. “I’m Hallie. It’s nice to meet you.” 

“Nice to meet you,” Arthur echoed. “This is Katelyn,” he said, introducing her. “My other girlfriends, Selene, Kelly, Mindy, and, I guess you know, Kat and Rani.” 

“And I’m Yvonne,” Yvonne said, piping up to introduce herself. 

Arthur’s guilt nagged him for not having introduced her, but he’d been thinking of his girlfriends, and she hadn’t popped into his mind. 

“Wow, there are a lot of you,” Hallie said, chuckling. “I can’t promise I’ll remember everyone’s names,” she admitted.

“Are you going to the adults-only event?” Rani asked. 

Hallie checked over her shoulder, where a group of people waited for her. “We were thinking about it, but weren’t sure if they’d sold out.” 

“They’re still selling tickets,” Yvonne said. She pointed toward the ticket booth, where a woman in a Poison Ivy costume and another in a Renaissance-era Harley Quinn costume were buying tickets. 

“Do you know if it’s twenty-one and up or eighteen and over?” Hallie asked. 

“Eighteen!” Mindy said. “We had to look it up for my sake.” 

“Oh, nice,” Hallie said. “I guess we’ll see you inside if they have enough.” 

“Is this your girlfriend?” Rani asked as a young woman from Hallie’s group detached from the group and stood beside Hallie, taking her hand. She didn’t release it, but didn’t make a show of holding it either. 

“Oh, uh, Rani, this is Cynthia. Cynthia, this is Rani, Kat, and their girlfriends?” Hallie stated the word more like a question, unsure how to introduce everyone. 

“And boyfriend,” Arthur said, raising his hand. 

“And boyfriend,” Hallie added. 

“Oh, and Yvonne,” Kat said, singling her out among them. 

“Hi,” Yvonne said, waving. 

Cynthia looked them over. She was shorter than Haley and fitter. Her dark African-American skin contrasted with Hallie’s sun-kissed Caucasian skin. She, too, dressed like a barbarian, fitting her group’s theme, and the outfit showed off her athletic legs, chiseled abs, and powerful arms. 

“Oh my god, I love your cosplay,” Rani gushed as she gestured to Cynthia’s outfit. “Hot and accurate. What a combo.” 

Arthur raised an eyebrow. The brown fur halter top and briefs/loincloth combo were attractive, and the gold jewelry around her neck and arms was a brilliant touch, but he didn’t recognize the character. 

“Oh, thanks,” Cynthia said. “I wasn’t sure if anyone would get it since I don’t have the staff.” 

“I haven’t seen every episode of the cartoon, but I’ve seen enough to know Diana when I see her,” Rani said, smiling. “You did a great job on the outfit. It looks just like her acrobat costume.” 

“Thanks!” Cynthia said, beaming her smile at Rani. “Your outfit is amazing, too. Is it Slave Jasmine?” She asked, though her intonation suggested she knew she was wrong. Her eyes lingered on the gold chain collar around Rani’s throat, as well as the red bikini beneath the red and gold veils. 

“No, it’s just my take on what a djinn might look like. Lots of red and gold. It’s my favorite color combo,” Rani said. 

“It suits you,” Cynthia said, smiling. 

“Your outfit is great, too,” Kelly said, examining Hallie. “You’re a great Red Sonja.” 

“Oh,” Hallie said, looking at Kelly and blushing. “Thanks. I don’t look as good in mine as Cynthia does in hers, but—”

“Oh, hush. Do I need to threaten you with a good time again?” Rani asked, which caused Cynthia to look at Hallie and raise her eyebrows. 

“Rani is the one who invited us to, uh, that event later,” Hallie said, stammering through her words as she blushed. 

Cynthia turned her gaze over the group once more, her eyes wide. “Oh, you’re the sex freaks?” 

Even Arthur froze, unsure of how to take that.

“I’m sorry,” Cynthia said, raising her hand. “I didn’t mean that as it sounded; I promise.” She patted her chest. “I meant freak as a term of endearment. Oh, forget it. I’m so sorry.” 

“It’s okay,” Mindy said, calming her down. “You’re not wrong.” She giggled, which set the rest of them laughing. Cynthia’s face flushed. She looked away as if she were about to die. 

“Anyway,” Rani said, retaking control of the conversation. “Hallie mentioned you earlier. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” 

“Oh?” Cynthia turned nervous, looking at Hallie as if wondering what she had said. 

“She mentioned you were dating, kinda,” Kat said, looking at their hands. 

Cynthia released Hallie’s hand as if Kat had burned it with lasers from her eyes. 

“Oh, not out yet?” Rani asked, looking between Cynthia and Hallie. 

Hallie blushed. “I am. Well, my friends and family know I’m bi.” 

Cynthia’s face took on a harder expression, her face stiffening. “It’s complicated.” 

“We get it,” Kelly said, cutting in. 

“We do?” Rani asked. 

“I do,” Mindy said. She raised her hand to indicate herself. That made Rani reconsider her reaction. She didn’t say whatever it was she’d planned on saying next. 

“Being out and proud isn’t for everyone,” Yvonne said, which surprised Arthur. “And whatever your reasons for not being out, it’s okay.” 

The way Yvonne said it made Arthur wonder if Yvonne was speaking from experience. She’d always been an ally to the LGBT community, but Arthur had never known her to mention her sexuality outside her desire for him. Had he assumed she was straight this entire time, or was she just being an ally to Cynthia? 

Whatever her intentions, Cynthia appeared more embarrassed by the attention than reassured. 

“But trust me,” Yvonne continued. “Whatever your sexuality, there’s no need to feel shame with this group. No matter how freaky you think you are, they’ve got you beat.” 

“I’m not sure whether that’s a compliment or an insult,” Arthur said, looking over at Yvonne. 

“A compliment,” Yvonne said. “From one freak to another.” 

Arthur gave her a quizzical look, but Yvonne turned her attention away from him and ignored him, focusing on Cynthia and Hallie instead. Selene laughed, shooting Arthur a wink, which only confused him more. He didn’t dig into it, though. 

“Thanks,” Cynthia said, offering a small smile. “Sorry for making things awkward.” 

“No worries,” Rani said. “We’ll see you in there?” 

Cynthia checked Hallie’s expression, then nodded. “Yeah, I guess so. We’ll see you in there.” She pulled Hallie away, and they rejoined their group. A minute later, their group swirled through the empty ticket line and bought their tickets. 

“Do you want to drink tonight?” Rani asked, looking at Mindy. 

“Oh, I was just going in as eighteen. I didn’t bother with a fake ID,” Mindy said. 

“Okay,” Rani said, shrugging. 

“Besides, none of us should get too wasted. It’s going to be a long night,” Arthur said, warning them. 

“Mmm,” Katelyn said, cuddling into him once more. “I can’t wait.” 

Arthur squeezed her and Kat. They settled in to wait in line as the last of the Faire-goers left the grounds. The gates closed behind them, and the headlights from the grass-covered field behind them became less frequent. Arthur’s stomach rumbled, making Katelyn slap it playfully. 

Katelyn giggled. “So firm, Jesus.” She left her hand there, stroking his abs with her fingertips, as if searching for something. “Are you even ticklish anywhere?” She poked him, prodding different spots on his body. Kat joined in, mirroring her search. 

“Even if I’m not ticklish,” Arthur said, shaking his head. “I don’t think anyone enjoys getting jabbed with index fingers.” 

“I don’t know,” Rani said. “You use your fingers well.” 

“I don’t jab you with them,” Arthur said, catching her innuendo but determined to make his point. 

“That’s fair,” Mindy said, talking to Rani. “He’s much more clever with how he uses his fingers.” 

“He’s as good with them as he is at playing the piano,” Rani agreed. 

“Fuck,” Yvonne muttered. “I didn’t need to hear that.” 

“Sorry!” Rani called over, leaning out from behind Katelyn to see Yvonne and Selene. 

Yvonne blushed. “No, it’s just that I’ve heard him play the piano. He’s talented.” 

“Yeah,” Selene agreed. “I can’t wait to hear him play on that piano at the house.” 

“He played for Thalia and me,” Rani said. “But he picked the least sexy song. It was gorgeous, but fuck, it was sad.” 

“Music of the Night,” Arthur said, explaining the song to Yvonne, Selene, and anyone else who had listened to Phantom of the Opera. 

“That’s a gorgeous piece!” Yvonne said, appalled at Rani. “Did you sing it for them, too?” 

“No, I didn’t sing it,” Arthur said. “That’s a tough song. I’d need to warm up to do it right.” 

“That’s fair,” Yvonne said. “But Selene told me your bus has karaoke, so I expect at least one performance from you on our way to the hotel tonight. Doesn’t have to be Phantom. Maybe we can even duet something?” 

Arthur stared at her for a moment, then smiled. He hadn’t expected Yvonne to be the one to spring back to normality. Her words transported him back in time, and he couldn’t find the words to express his appreciation for how she was treating him. Sure, she might be over-correcting for the weirdness between them, but he appreciated the effort. 

“Thanks, Yvonne,” Arthur said, grinning. 

“For what? Making demands?” Yvonne asked, surprised. 

“For treating me like you used to,” Arthur said. “I’m glad we can be friends again.” 

Yvonne swallowed and looked away from him, shrugging as she did so. “Yeah, well, it’s a good thing. You’re gonna need my help.” 

“Your help?” Arthur asked. 

Yvonne looked over her shoulder. “Who else do you think they’re going to vote in as the next Theater Club President? You’re going to need my help to get started.” 

Arthur’s eyes widened, and he looked past her to the others in the Theater Club, where Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen were chatting. Selene and Yvonne laughed, resuming their conversation and leaving Arthur to wonder how that would work with his other responsibilities. Maria had mentioned several times that they’d need to vote for another President, but he’d assumed she meant herself. He hoped that was the case. 

“Hear ye! Hear ye!” a crier called out from the gates. “We are about to start our festivities! Huzzah!” 

A huzzah rose from the crowd as the crier paced the line, examining its length, and nodding his satisfaction. The man’s microphone was on, so everyone heard him. 

“Please remember the rules!” He held up a finger. “No photography or video recording of any kind tonight! Any violation of this rule will result in immediate expulsion! We highly recommend leaving your devices in your carriages for the festivities! Security will conduct bag searches! They will check IDs! We will not be giving refunds to anyone who violates the rules! Security will seal any devices with a camera with a sticker!” 

A murmur rippled through the crowd. Arthur didn’t think it was that strange. He’d encountered such rules before at different events in different venues. Lots of places banned phones and picture-taking, with mixed results.

“No outside food or drink! This includes gummies and other such enjoyments! If you have them, please rid yourself of them before the bag check!” 

No one in Arthur’s group had anything like that. So it didn’t matter to them.

“Cosplay, lewdity, nudity, and vulgarity are not consent! Do not touch anyone without permission! Security will remove you from the premises and deliver you to our fine local police force! They await anyone who does not know how to conduct themselves within the bounds of the common law!” 

Arthur had seen no policemen, but he didn’t doubt they had them on speed dial if things went wrong. As a professional venue, they made sure everyone had a good time. Part of that meant making everyone comfortable enough with the crowds to know they weren’t in danger. Arthur appreciated their looking out for everyone. He supposed such care resulted from various issues that had arisen over the years. Still, it was nice to see them embrace the responsibility and keep the after-hours event, even though the tickets were pricey. 

“You ladies in the crowd!” the crier cried. “Each of you tonight shall receive a free magic straw to use with your drinks! If it changes color on you, please alert a staff member! We encourage common sense! Especially in the face of the wild time we’re about to have! Can I get a huzzah?”

“Huzzah!” the crowd cheered.  

The magic straws surprised Arthur, but it was a pleasant surprise. He would’ve preferred everyone receive a magic straw, but if supplies were limited, it made sense to prioritize.

Kat hugged him close. “You can have mine if it’ll help you feel safer.” 

Arthur looked at her, confused. The way she looked at him, though, told him she was worried about him. Her concern made him soften. He shook his head. “I appreciate you looking out for me, but don’t worry. I’m okay, and I’m not worried.” 

Kat nodded, resting her head on his chest as he squeezed her. Katelyn did the same. 

“And finally! The number one rule of tonight, besides no children, is the most important! We are about to enter the realm of Faerie! Have fun! Eat, drink, and be merry! Play the games! Drink the shots! Compete if you’re willing! Let’s show those unseelie fey how we party! Huzzah!” 

“HUZZAH!” rang out as the crowd hoisted their fists, cups, goblets, drinking horns, and peace-tied weapons into the air. 

Arthur chuckled, smiling at how enthusiastic everyone was. Music started playing, and several people ran to their cars with their bags and phones. 

“Give me your phones,” Kelly said, reaching out to those around her. “I’ll take them back to the bus.” 

“I’ll go with you,” Rani said, disappointed as she took her camera bag strap off her shoulder. “If they come near this thing with a sticker, I’ll cut a bitch.” 

Kelly laughed. Selene, Kat, Katelyn, Arthur, and Mindy turned their phones over to her as she stuck them in her giant purse. She held her hand out to Yvonne. 

“Do I have to?” Yvonne asked. 

“Or they can put a sticker over the camera lens,” Arthur said. “Better to put it on the bus.” 

Yvonne sighed, pulled her phone out of her bra, and handed it to Kelly. “Just don’t lose it.” 

“She won’t lose it,” Katelyn assured her. “Kelly’s the most responsible person here, I promise.” 

Yvonne shot a glance at Arthur, who nodded. 

Yvonne nodded at Kelly. “Thanks.” 

Kelly smiled. “Of course. We’ll be right back.” 

She and Rani ran to the bus. Well, Kelly ran. Rani trotted after her, making Kelly slow her pace so as not to lose Rani in the dust behind her. Arthur laughed, watching them until he lost sight of them, but they soon returned. He imagined they had stashed the items with Manasa and then come back. 

“Does Manasa not want to join us for the adult-only event?” Arthur asked. 

“We invited her,” Kelly said, gesturing between her and Rani. “But she said she had to stay with the bus.” 

“It’s her responsibility if anything happens to it,” Rani said. “So it’s standard for her to stay with it whenever she drives it.” 

“She’s going to sleep in the hotel tonight, though, right?” Arthur asked, more concerned for her comfort than anything else. “She doesn’t have to sleep on the bus.” 

“Oh, yeah, she’ll stay at the hotel, but that’s different,” Rani said. “The bus will be right there. Not in a field. And we’ll be with her, not at an event.” 

“I don’t understand the difference,” Arthur admitted. “But so long as she’s happy.” 

“Oh, she’s happy,” Rani said. She laughed, and Kelly joined in. “She’s the happiest I’ve seen her in a long time, thanks to you, me, and Kelly.” 

Arthur blushed, which made Kelly and Rani laugh again. Rani bumped Mindy with her hip, and the two held hands as the gates ahead opened to a variety of fanfare. “Welcome, one and all, to the Faire’s Dark Side!” 

Arthur couldn’t see who shouted the welcome, but the line started moving as people stopped at the security table they’d set up behind the gates. They had multiple security guards to check participants’ bags, props, and phones before anyone even reached the ticket-taker, who checked IDs against the tickets. 

Kelly produced everyone’s ticket from her bag, and everyone withdrew their IDs, making sure they were ready to enter the gates to keep the line moving. It was slower than the line in the morning, but everyone made it through, laughing as they moved past the opening courtyard at Arthur’s gesticulation. Wenches in the courtyard wandered through, handing out the magic straws and schedules for the after-hours event. Arthur took one and read it over. 

The list of attractions was much shorter than at the Faire during the day, but he expected that. He perused the list and the map, looking for anything that leaped out at him to do or see. 

“Can we go to the bonfire dance?” Selene asked, pointing at the schedule. It was an ongoing event following the bonfire-lighting ceremony, which he suspected was worth seeing. The event promised a live DJ, and dancing sounded fun. 

“I don’t see why not,” Arthur said.

Music filled the square, a low bass drumbeat from a large Celtic drum strapped around its player’s torso. The man beating the drum clicked his sticks together over his head and chanted in a deep, rumbling voice. Another man joined him, and another, each bringing their drum to play as they started marching. 

“What’s that about?” Rani asked. She looked at the schedule for an answer. 

“Looks like the start of the parade,” Arthur said. “They’re going to the pavilion, where they’ll start the wild hunt. Not sure what that is. It looks like a scavenger hunt?” 

“Boring,” Rani said. “Been there, done that. What else is on the list?” 

“Let’s see, there’s the wet chemise contest, the kilt contest, costume contests, and, wow, lots of contests. The bonfire dance is ongoing. There’s also wine tasting, whiskey tasting, and a variety of burlesque shows. Red Jenny’s doing one,” Arthur said to Kelly. “The belly dancers have one, too,” he said to Rani. “A few of the typical acts during the day have lewd versions tonight.” 

“What do you want to see the most, my lord?” Selene asked. 

Arthur reviewed the list. “Well, first we should grab dinner. Show of hands, who hasn’t eaten since lunch?” 

Most of them raised their hands, and Arthur nodded in satisfaction at being right. 

“The food vendors are still open, but the other shops have closed. So let’s do that first,” he suggested. He didn’t know how much longer they’d stay open, but he didn’t imagine it was for the entire event. “Then we can go to the next event.” 

“Yes, my king,” Rani said, patting his shoulder. “And then the wet chemise contest? Do we have your permission to compete?” 

Arthur raised his eyebrows. Thinking it over, he’d test this whole ‘dominance outside the bedroom’ concept. It’d be a selfish decision. Still, the thought of his girlfriends taking part was hot, but with an audience watching them? No, he’d prefer to keep that private. 

“I think I’ll keep your bodies to myself,” Arthur said. “We can watch, though, as a group.” 

Rani raised her eyebrows in surprise. Her eyes told him she wanted to argue, but she didn’t. “As you wish, my king.” 

“Aw,” Mindy pouted. “I didn’t get to compete in the cleavage contest. So, I was hoping I could win the wet chemise competition.” 

“There are a lot of people,” Kelly said, looking around them. “Do you want to show off to all of them? What if there’s another Mike in the crowd?” 

Mindy shrugged. “Arthur will protect me, right?” She looked at Arthur. 

Arthur nodded. “I’ll protect you, but I’d rather you watch the competition. You’re mine, not anyone else’s.” 

“Is that an order?” Selene asked, her voice hopeful. 

“Yes,” Arthur said. “I forbid any of you from participating.”

“Aw,” Mindy frowned. “Okay. But you’ll still protect us tonight, right?” 

“Of course,” Arthur said, nodding. “Everyone’s under my protection tonight. Don’t forget it.” 

“Even me?” Yvonne asked. She was standing at the edge of the group, but Arthur had meant to include her, regardless. 

“Yeah,” Arthur said. “I wouldn’t let anything happen to you just because I’m not dating you.” 

Yvonne nodded. “Right.” 

Selene patted Yvonne on the back. “Don’t worry, you’re hanging out with us tonight. We wouldn’t throw you to the wolves.”

Mark howled as he, Maria, Brad, and Jen approached. He’d clearly only overheard the last word. “We’re going to the Wild Hunt! It sounds fun! What are you guys up to?” 

“We’re getting food,” Kelly said. “We did our scavenger hunt earlier today.” 

“Oh, the wild hunt is more like a manhunt in the woods. They dress people up in white fox motifs and send them out. Then, we have to hunt them,” Mark said. 

“That doesn’t sound like an adults-only event,” Rani said, confused. “What’s sexy about that?” 

“It’s not sexy; it’s just fun!” Maria said.

“Well, have fun wandering in the dark,” Rani said.

“We’re doing the costume contest, but that’s later,” Jen said, adding her and Brad’s plans to the list as she hugged his arm.  

“Are you going to do the kilt competition later?” Brad asked Arthur. “Mark and I were thinking of entering.” 

“What is it?” Arthur asked, re-reading the description on the schedule. 

“It’s like the men’s version of the wet chemise competition. It’s a male beauty contest with an emphasis on legs. They give you a kilt to wear if you don’t have one, then make you do spins and tricks and stuff to flash the crowd,” Brad explained. 

“Oh, you have to enter that,” Rani said, patting Arthur’s shoulder again. 

“I already have my blue ribbon,” Arthur said, gesturing to the blue ribbon pinned to the front of his loincloth. 

“Okay, but hear me out: two blue ribbons,” Rani said, holding up two fingers. “And it might help convince Hallie and Cynthia to join us later. Not to mention the twins.” 

Arthur sighed. “Well, maybe they should join the wet chemise contest then. Fair’s fair.” 

Rani chuckled. “I’ll suggest it if I see them.” 

“Let me know what they say,” Arthur said, grinning as though he’d gotten out of it. He didn’t mind participating in the competition, but he didn’t want to be a hypocrite. He knew that Selene and some of the others enjoyed showing off their bodies. He did too, especially after having done one night as a stripper and having scheduled a second. Yet, he couldn’t help the territorial instinct that came over him at the idea of his girlfriends flashing their goods at strangers. 

He’d given in once with Selene in front of their friends, but things had been weird ever since. It wasn’t a mistake he intended to repeat or allow to happen again. The other women who were coming to the hotel were fine, but they weren’t his girlfriends and could do as they pleased. His girlfriends, however, would hopefully respect his wishes. 

“So, food?” Mindy asked, pointing toward where the food stalls were still open, selling their wares. The lines were long, with many people eager to eat dinner. 

“Food!” Selene said, grabbing Yvonne’s hand and pulling her away.

“See you guys!” Mark said, waving farewell. Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen followed the drummers toward the pavilion.  

Arthur chuckled as the group split up, each of them going to a different stall depending on their tastes. Katelyn and Kat stuck with him as he approached the mac and cheese stall. He kept his arms around them, and they clung to him, each cuddling into him. 

“Keep your eyes on each other!” Kelly said. She called out as Rani and Mindy pulled her away. “Buddy system! Remember, we don’t have our phones!” 

That was a good point, Arthur thought. Once separated, the only way to reunite was to find each other at the events they’d discussed. If someone wandered off, they might have to return to the bus and wait for the others to show up. Still, it worked. They had enough people to pair off or group up. 

“So, what do you want to eat?” Arthur asked. He read the menu behind the counter. Yes, it was carbs, but it would fill him up, and he’d need the energy. The dairy might not be the best choice, but his need for carbs outweighed his concerns about congestion. “My treat.” 

“You don’t have to,” Kat said. “I have my wallet.” 

“I didn’t ask if you did,” Arthur said. “I told you it was my treat. The only words out of your mouth should be your answer to my question. Understood?” 

Kat swallowed. “Yes, Sir.” 

“Good girl.” Arthur squeezed her and kissed her forehead for good measure. 

Katelyn smiled as she scanned the menu on the board, ignoring the look the couple in line ahead of them gave them. “I want the plain mac and cheese,” she said. “The small bowl and a side of tater tots.” 

“A Reuben mac and cheese sounds interesting,” Arthur mused, trying to imagine mac and cheese with sauerkraut, corned beef, and Swiss cheese. It sounded intriguing, but wrong on a moral level. “But I’ll try the ham and mac and cheese.” 

“Oh, good,” Katelyn said, grinning. “I wouldn’t want to kiss you with sauerkraut breath.” 

Arthur laughed. “What about you, Kat?” 

“I’d still kiss you with sauerkraut breath,” Kat said, shrugging. 

Arthur laughed. “No, I meant, what do you want to order?” 

“Oh, uh, well, the bacon and mac bowl sounds good,” Kat said. “If it’s not too much.” 

“Consider this a date,” Arthur said. “And don’t worry about the price of anything; just get what you want to get, okay?” 

“Yes, Sir,” Kat said, nodding. “The bacon bowl, then. If that’s okay.” 

“Perfect,” Arthur said, shuffling forward with the rest of the line. When it was their turn, he ordered for them, double-checking that their decisions were final before he did. He paid, and they shuffled to the side while they waited. “I don’t make it often, but when we’re in the house, I’ll have to make you guys my mom’s truffle mac and cheese recipe. It’s fantastic.” 

Katelyn chuckled. “You cook, too?” 

Arthur laughed. “Yeah, well, I grew up helping my mom out in the kitchen. She taught me how to cook and do a lot of domestic things.” 

“Wow,” Katelyn said. “A mama’s boy? I never would have guessed.” 

“He’s not that bad,” Kat said, as if she needed to defend him. 

“I’m just kidding,” Katelyn said. “But you should get your cooking done before Kelly moves in. After that, it’ll be her kitchen, and you’ll be lucky if she lets you in it.” 

Arthur laughed. “I’m sure we’ll share the kitchen just fine.” 

Katelyn gave him a disbelieving look with both her eyebrows raised. “Your optimism is cute, but take it from someone who’s lived with her: she can be fiercely territorial over her kitchen. I could see that being your first big fight as a couple, for sure.” 

Arthur shrugged. “We’ll work it out, I’m sure.” 

“See? There’s that optimism again. Adorable,” Katelyn said. She kissed his cheek. “Just so damn cute.” 

“Language,” Arthur said, winking at her. 

Katelyn groaned. “Dammit.” 

“That’s two?” Arthur said. “Care to try for a third?” 

“Fuck you,” Katelyn said, giggling madly as she added a third to her account. 

“You either didn’t learn your lesson this morning, or I made it far too enjoyable,” Arthur said, peeking behind her as if he could see through her skirt. 

“Oh, I learned my lesson,” Katelyn said, pulling her skirt against her behind. “I’m just hoping for another one at the next harem meeting. Besides, I had five before those three? So I’m up to eight.”

“Happy to oblige,” Arthur said, taking their order when it arrived at the pickup window. “Should we sit and eat first?” 

They searched for a spot, but others had the same idea. Kelly, Rani, and Mindy had found a table, but another group had taken the other end. They left a gap big enough for two, but not enough for three. 

“Sorry!” Mindy called. 

“It’s okay; we’ll sit over there. I think I saw benches by the lake,” Arthur said, still searching for a closer spot.

Arthur couldn’t find another table, so they moved on to find a bench overlooking the lake. The three of them sat, watching the water and the lights across it that illuminated the Faire. It was pretty, even though they were in a poorly lit section. The lights were helpful throughout the Faire, making the lit spots brighter and the shadows darker. Anyone in the light had a difficult time seeing into the shadows, and anyone in the shadows could make out the people in the light. 

Arthur opened his to-go bowl and plunged the plastic fork into it. The ham and mac and cheese was a good choice. Together, the three of them ate in silence, listening to the far-off music, the laughter, and the sounds of the people walking through the Faire at night. 

“It’s spooky,” Katelyn said, breaking the silence. “Being here at night, the Halloween decorations look more sinister.” 

“If we were in a horror movie, we would be about to suck his dick and the murderer would sneak up on us from the lake,” Kat said. It was as if she were suggesting it to the universe. 

“Mm,” Katelyn hummed, letting her hand wander under the flap of his loincloth. “A shame these briefs are in the way.” 

“Behave yourself, Pet,” Arthur said, not wanting to risk removing his loincloth in public, even if they were out of sight. The building behind them and its shrubbery offered them privacy, but anyone could peek around the building at any time. 

“If I have to,” Katelyn sighed. “But can we go over that list you mentioned?” 

Arthur caught the hope in her voice, and while she’d stopped her groping, she’d left her hand resting right where it was, on his dick over his briefs. Kat’s hand snuck in from the other side, meeting Katelyn’s and resting atop it, applying added pressure. 

“Well,” Arthur hesitated. “I had to leave my phone on the bus, remember? We can discuss it, and I can fill out the list on the way to the hotel. I might ask you to look over it before I save it, but, well, let’s start with stuff like this. Are you comfortable playing outdoors?” 

“Oh, I enjoy it. I’d spend most of my time outside if I could,” Katelyn said. “Especially when it’s nice out, or when there’s beautiful scenery, like this.” 

“It’s so dark the lake is an abyss,” Kat said, pointing out over the water with her fork. 

“An abyss of stars,” Katelyn said, correcting her. “And the moon is full. If you let your eyes adjust and don’t look at the bright lights over there, it’s pretty.” 

“Okay, so outdoors is a yes,” Arthur said. “Interesting. For Kat, it was a no, if I remember correctly.” 

“You remember correctly,” Kat said. “Though I reserve the right to change my mind. I know my safe words.” 

“But you don’t want outdoor sex, so what is your hand doing?” Arthur asked. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kat said. “I’m merely offering my friend Katelyn emotional support and holding her hand.” 

“Yeah,” Katelyn said, playing along. “She’s got my emotional-support hand.” 

Arthur laughed. “Okay. Uh, let’s see, what about wearing costumes, like the one you’re wearing?” 

“Oh, I love costumes,” Katelyn said. “Wearing them makes me feel pretty. Especially this one. I don’t have very many, though.” 

“Okay,” Arthur said. “How about lingerie?” 

“Hm,” Katelyn pondered the question. “I have more cutesy lingerie than sexy and prefer it to the sexy stuff. Less Victoria’s Secret, and more Hello Kitty.” 

“Hello Kitty?” Arthur asked. 

“What? It’s cute!” Katelyn defended herself. “I like being cute!” 

“Okay,” Arthur said, surrendering. “It just surprised me. I wasn’t trying to shame you.” 

“Okay,” Katelyn said. “Don’t be mean, Big D.” 

“I’m sorry,” Arthur said, apologizing with sincerity. “I won’t do it again.” 

“Good,” Katelyn said. She squeezed Arthur’s dick through his briefs. “Go on.” 

“Well, in keeping with lingerie, would you enjoy wearing outfits made from tight materials, such as leather, rubber, or latex?” Arthur asked. 

“Leather would be hot,” Katelyn said. “In a lot of ways, I guess.” She laughed. “I don’t know about the other stuff, but I’d be willing to try it, sure.” 

“Do you enjoy wearing high heels?” Arthur asked. 

Katelyn laughed. When he didn’t join in, she stopped. “Oh, sorry, no. I mean, I love them. They make my butt look great, and I need the help to emphasize my best feature. But I’m too tall to get away with wearing them. I might get away with it with you, though. Not platforms, but a decent heel won’t dwarf you.” 

“Okay,” Arthur said, processing that information. “And you’re comfortable in a group setting, right?” 

“I mean, yeah. It was an unfamiliar experience, but after last weekend and this past week, yeah, absolutely. The group stuff with you and the harem is great,” Katelyn said. 

“And how do you feel being one-on-one with me?” Arthur asked. 

“In a bedroom?” Katelyn asked. “I guess we’ll find out, but yeah. Being alone with you has been oddly comfortable the few times it’s happened.” 

“Oddly?” Kat asked, curious. 

“Well, it’s just that you’re like, super hot, and also dating Kelly and Kat. You’d think that’d make me nervous,” Katelyn said. “Instead, you talk me through things and put me at ease. You’ve got this gentle manner that soothes my anxiety before it even starts. It’s awesome.”

“He’s good at that,” Kat said, agreeing.

Arthur blushed. “Thanks. How about playing in public?” he asked. “Remote control vibrators, stealthy sex, or even just wearing your collar like you did today?” 

“I love the collar,” Katelyn said, jingling her bell with her finger. “I’m fine wearing it in public, especially if it goes with my outfit. The other stuff would be okay so long as we don’t get arrested. I might even enjoy playing in secret during a concert or something, where no one else knows what we’re doing.” 

“It’s his job to make sure that no one else finds out,” Kat said. 

“Yeah, I trust you,” Katelyn said, squeezing him again. 

Arthur closed his eyes, eating more of his dinner as he lined up the next set of questions. “What about bondage? Did you enjoy it when I tied you up in the hotel?” 

“Hm,” Katelyn considered her answer. “It was okay, but the luggage trolleys were too much. I preferred when you tied us to the mattresses the other night, or tied us to each other. The leashes were great, too. I enjoy being tied to someone more than to things. It was more intimate. I didn’t hate the bondage, but the ropes and chains are for you more than they’re for me, if that makes sense? It depends on the scenario. I’ll do them, obviously, but I don’t know that I’d beg for it the way Selene does.” 

“Yeah,” Arthur said. “That makes sense. In that case, I’m guessing that stealth bondage, wearing ropes or harnesses under your clothes, is a no for you?” 

“I’d say yes if there’s a reason for it. If we’re going somewhere and you need to tie the harness first, then fine. But just to walk around for the day?” Katelyn tilted her head. “Nah. I’d prefer to go without panties or something, if you wanted me to be secretly naughty.” 

Katelyn spread her legs and moved her hand from his crotch and out of Kat’s touch. Kat’s hand moved to Arthur’s dick, and Katelyn moved her hand to his, placing it on her leg and sliding it to the inside of her thigh. 

Arthur resisted, keeping his hand from her intended destination as she pulled against him, her strength nowhere near enough to move his arm. “We shouldn’t right now. You need a clear head for going over your limits.” 

“Sure,” Kat said, speaking up from his other side. “But this is just preliminary, right? You can’t write anything down, so it’s just talk. She can go over the list later without distraction, but for now,” Kat squeezed. “Let her have her fun.” 

Arthur grumbled, shifting his eyes over to Kat. “You’re not helping.” 

“Yes, I am. I’m just not helping you,” Kat said. “I’m helping her.” 

“Okay,” Arthur said. “But when you review the list later, no funny stuff. I want you to be clear-headed and focused. It’s your safety on the line, understand?” 

Katelyn kissed his cheek. “You got it, Big D.” 

Arthur sighed. “You’re going to get spoiled if I keep giving in to you.” 

Katelyn giggled. “I don’t mind that. You should spoil me. I’m a fairy princess.” 

Arthur chuckled. 

“Thanks, Pussycat,” Katelyn said as Arthur relented and Katelyn moved his hand along her thigh to her intended destination. She let him enjoy the absence of her panties when the smooth skin above her pussy met his fingertips. 

“Wow, that wax job is smooth,” Arthur said, appreciating her effort. 

“Laser hair removal,” Katelyn said. “Once a year, and so much less painful.” 

“Right,” Arthur said, letting his fingers explore. “I remember now.” 

He had finished half his meal, and Katelyn and Kat had finished theirs. He set his bowl on his thigh and did his best to eat with one hand. If she had laser hair removal, then there wasn’t much point in asking about forced shaving. “So, uh, sensory deprivation, blindfolds, and stuff like that. Thoughts?” 

“Mm, I enjoy a blindfold,” Katelyn said, using her fingers to push Arthur’s finger between her outer lips. “I’m not sure about the other senses, but sure, I’d try it.” 

Kat set her empty container aside and took Arthur’s from his leg. She took his fork from his hand, too, and fed him. This left him with one hand free, so he mirrored his actions with his left and slid his right hand along Kat’s thigh. She didn’t protest or use her safewords as he rubbed her beneath her tattered miniskirt. She glanced around more than Katelyn did, but she obviously felt safe in the darkness. 

“So, masturbation is okay, given what we’re doing. Are there any sex acts you don’t enjoy or are hard limits for you?” Arthur asked. “Oral, deep throat, anal, stuff like that?” 

“Oral is fine,” Katelyn said. “I enjoy it quite a bit, actually. I’ve always had a bit of an oral fixation and enjoy having things in my mouth. Deep-throating, well, I’m not good at it yet. But I’ll try. I don’t have as much experience with it.” 

“You’ll get some,” Kat said, her breath hitching as Arthur swirled his finger to silence her. 

Katelyn chuckled. “I hope so.” 

“And do you prefer to swallow, or do you prefer facials?” Arthur asked. 

“I prefer to swallow,” Katelyn said. “It’s less of a mess. Plus, you taste good.” 

“Something about his diet,” Kat said, feeding him another forkful of his dinner. 

Arthur chewed and swallowed. “This is definitely an off-menu day. I’m going to feel like crap tomorrow.” 

“Aw,” Katelyn said, frowning. “You can’t enjoy junk food?”

“I can enjoy the taste, sure, but I know when I go to work out, my body is going to hate the fuel I’ve given it,” Arthur said. “It’s like breathing in humid weather instead of in clear and crisp weather.”

Kat shrugged, and Katelyn mused over his response as best she could as his middle fingertip pressed inside her. “Mm,” she hummed. “Mm-hmm.” 

“Do you enjoy spanking and other punishments? Are they fun for you?” Arthur asked. 

“Um, I don’t know about fun,” Katelyn said. “But you made them pleasurable, so yes? I don’t enjoy spanking as much as Kat does, for example. For me, it’s an actual punishment. Not a fun time. But I don’t mind it when you punish me. I don’t get off on the pain, but I love that you’re holding me accountable for the foul language. It’s not even a sex thing. I know it’s weird, but even punishment helps me feel closer to you and the others if they’re involved.”

Arthur nodded. “No, that makes perfect sense to me,” he assured her. “How do you feel about non-spanking punishments? Stuff like slapping? Edging? Washing your mouth out with soap?” 

Katelyn frowned. “No soap, thank you very much. Slapping across the face? No. Slap my butt if you want. That’s fine. Edging sounds like actual torture to me. Only do that if I’ve done something terrible to deserve it. I’d rather not wear a chastity belt like Selene, but I won’t put it on my no-list if I do something that deserves it. I hope I never do, though. Kat, don’t let me do anything that would land me in a belt, okay?”

“You got it,” Kat said. 

“Oh, I don’t think you answered my question about anal earlier,” Arthur said. 

“It’s painful as fuck, even with the lube,” Katelyn answered. “Shit.” 

“Wow, that’s two more. You’re just racking them up tonight,” Kat said, hissing on her last breath as Arthur slid his finger inside her. “Mm. Fuck.” 

“So you’d rather not do it?” Arthur asked. 

“I don’t know,” Katelyn said. “I mean, I don’t want to throw it off the table, but I’d need to work up to it, for sure. Especially with you.” 

“Got it,” Arthur said. “What about bondage gear? Anal plugs, hooks, gags, restraints, and that stuff?” 

“That’s fine,” Katelyn said. “The immobilization aspects aren’t my favorite parts, but I don’t mind the gear. I need a small ball gag, though. My mouth only opens so far.” 

“Coulda fooled me,” Kat said, squeezing Arthur’s dick as he swirled his finger. 

“The rest of it’s fine,” Katelyn said, trying to concentrate through the pleasure he inflicted on her. “The one-bar prison, the stockade, even that stuff was okay. I enjoyed the leash stuff, too. That was fun.” 

“Did you enjoy being degraded and treated like a pet?” Arthur asked. 

“Mm,” Katelyn closed her eyes as she considered his question. “The pet stuff, yes. Degradation, not really? I enjoy being your pet, but not in a sex slave way like Selene. More in a concubine way. The way you treat Rani.” 

Arthur parsed through that, deciding it made sense to him. She enjoyed embracing her role, but she preferred praise and positive reinforcement to negative ones. That much was clear from getting to know her. So it made sense she’d enjoy the collar and leash, but she enjoyed them because they were pretty and made her feel special, not because they made her lesser. 

“Does that make sense?” Katelyn asked, her breathing quickening as Arthur hurried his pace. 

“Yeah, that makes sense. You enjoy looking pretty and being cared for, not looked down on,” Arthur said. 

“Oh, sure, you understand her kinks immediately,” Kat grumbled.

Arthur squeezed her, pressing the butt of his palm against Kat’s clit while he fingered her, making her lean forward in surprise. “Behave, Brat.” 

“MM. Yes, Sir.” 

He released his grip, and Kat reclined against the bench once more. 

“What are your thoughts on roleplaying in the bedroom?” Arthur asked. 

“Like the Slave Leia stuff?” Katelyn asked. “Or a theatrical scene? Fair warning, I’m a terrible actress. I didn’t even make a believable tree in third grade.” 

“It’d be behind closed doors,” Arthur said. “And, no, it wouldn’t be a scripted performance. It’d be like what Kelly and I do if she mentioned any of that. French maid play, professor and student roleplays, that kind of thing?” 

“Hm,” Katelyn said, gripping his wrist with both hands to hold him against her and keep his fingers doing what they were doing. She was getting close, and Arthur slowed his pace to make sure she didn’t arrive before he wanted her to. “I guess it depends on the roleplay scenario. As I said, I’m a terrible actress, but I’d play along with you. I like to pretend. It’d be fun to play that way, depending on the game.” 

“I think I know the answer to this one, but how do you feel about CNC?” Arthur asked. 

Katelyn blushed and shook her head. “Not for me, and especially not with you. I’d cry just thinking about it.” 

“Okay,” Arthur said, backing off the subject. “How about more submissive stuff, like domestic servitude?” 

“It might be fun to roleplay, but that’s more Kelly’s thing. I’d rather not have to do chores to have sex,” Katelyn said. 

“Amen,” Kat agreed. 

“If you dislike the immobilization aspects of typical bondage, can I assume you’re not into the full-body immobilization of wrappings or being used as furniture?” Arthur asked. 

Katelyn giggled, which did odd things to his finger lodged inside her as her insides fluttered. She closed her eyes, leaning her head back. “No, uh, I don’t think that’s for me.” 

“Exhibitionism?” Arthur asked. “Do you enjoy it when the others watch us together?” 

“Yes,” Katelyn said, blushing as she gasped her answer. 

“Voyeurism?” Arthur asked. “Does watching the others get you hot?” 

“Yes,” Katelyn said, gasping again. 

“How do you feel about me controlling you outside the bedroom? Making rules for you, or telling you what to wear?” Arthur asked. 

“I’ll wear whatever you want,” Katelyn said, squeezing against his finger as he plunged it in and out of her. She’d become wetter as time went on, and she was squeezing him harder now, moving her hips in gentle gyrations as he fingered her. “I’ll be your doll. Dress or undress me however you want, Big D.” 

“Oh, he liked that,” Kat said, squeezing him through his briefs. “He’s hard as a rock under here. Must be painful.” 

Arthur grunted and increased his focus on Kat, making her loosen her grip as she shifted, trying to hold back her incoming implosion. 

“Hot wax?” Arthur asked. 

“I’m not into pain, but I’d try it,” Katelyn said. “If you wanted to.” 

Arthur considered that a neutral response, but Katelyn could only express so much opinion on things she’d never tried. “Toys?” 

“I love my toys,” Katelyn said. “All the dildos, vibrators, and whatever else are a big yes from me.” 

Arthur nodded. “Hair pulling?” 

“Hm, in the right circumstances, maybe,” Katelyn said. “But go easy on it.” 

“Noted,” Arthur said. “Breath play? Choking and things like that?” 

Katelyn swallowed. “I enjoy it more than I should, to be honest.” 

“No judgment from us,” Kat said, squeezing her eyes shut as she leaned forward. 

“Nipple play?” Arthur asked. “Breast play?”

Katelyn scoffed. “I mean, yeah, it can feel good, but my breasts are too small for most breast play stuff.” 

“But if I were to suck on your nipple right now, it’d help you get off?” Arthur asked. 

Katelyn gulped. “Yes.” 

“Yes, what?” Arthur asked, teasing her. 

“Yes, my lord?” Katelyn asked. 

“What happened to Big D?” Arthur asked. 

Katelyn shook her head. “That’s still your name, but it’s not like Sir or anything. I just went with my lord because we’re, you know, at the Ren Faire.” 

Arthur nodded his understanding. “So breast and nipple play is a yes. Do you have any limits or anything you want to tell me other than the ones we’ve discussed?” 

“No,” Katelyn said. “I can’t think of any right now.” 

“Okay, then I think that’s the end of the list.” He smiled. “You can cum now.” Arthur put the rest of his fingers into play, wringing a shuddering orgasm out of Katelyn as she clung to his arm for dear life. Kat followed her moments later, though hers was more clitoral. She had to clamp her hand over her mouth and trap it against his shoulder to keep from screaming into the night. 

Meanwhile, Arthur had to wait for his erection to subside. 

“Should we take off your loincloth?” Katelyn asked. 

“No,” Arthur said. “You’ve finished eating, and so have the others. We should meet them at the bonfire ceremony. Besides, I need to save something for later tonight. Otherwise, I’ll be running on empty.” 

“Gotcha,” Katelyn said. Grinning as she closed her legs. Arthur shifted to remove his hand, but she grabbed it, bringing his fingers to her lips and sucking on them one by one. She did the same for the hand that had fingered Kat. 

Arthur sighed. “Well, now we have to wait a few more minutes.” 

Katelyn chuckled, cuddling against his arm. “I don’t mind.” 

“Me neither,” Kat said, looking out over the dark water. 

“This is nice,” Katelyn said. “A stolen moment during dinner, hiding away from the world.” 

Kat murmured her agreement. “That was nice.” 

“Can I finish my Mac and Cheese now?” Arthur asked.

~~~

The line for the Queen’s Kitchen wasn’t as long as the other food lines. It still took Selene and Yvonne time to make their way through it, though. Selene’s vegan soup bread bowl kept the chill of the night away. Under the day’s sunlight, her chainmail bikini and silk scarves had been perfect. 

Warmer-than-average temperatures meant she could show her skin without worry. Now that the sun had set, it wasn’t uncomfortable yet, but she’d be looking for a cloak or something warm soon if the temperature kept dropping. 

Yvonne didn’t appear bothered. Her Cinderella dress showed her cleavage and pale skin on her upper arms, but not much else. Others around the Faire varied. Many wore skimpy costumes. Others wore full-coverage outfits. Then there were those in between who went skimpy but had cloaks to wrap around themselves for warmth. 

“Where are the others?” Yvonne asked, looking around as they walked with their food, keeping their pace slow. Both of them scanned the crowd in search of familiar faces. Of course, everyone here had been here during the day. There were plenty of familiar faces among them, but no one from Pendleton. At least, not until Selene spotted a shiny gold and ruby tikka atop a red-veiled head.

“I see Kelly, Rani, and Mindy,” Selene said, waving to them. “But their table is full.” 

“Who’s sitting next to them?” Yvonne asked. 

Selene checked their faces but didn’t recognize any of them. They were older and turned inward, ignoring Selene’s girlfriends. “No idea.” 

“Should we sit with them?” Yvonne asked. 

There was a small gap between Rani, Mindy, and their neighbors, but not much of one. “If you don’t mind squeezing in next to a stranger? It’d be tight.” 

“Not the best choice in this dress,” Yvonne said, looking at her hoop skirt. “An end seat is preferable unless everyone wants to see my bloomers.”  

Selene blushed, wondering how many layers of underwear Yvonne wore under her dress. She prevented herself from asking or making a lewd comment, which she considered progress. “It’s okay,” Selene said. “Master’s not with them.”  

“Ah,” Yvonne said, looking around them. Selene couldn’t tell if she was searching for Arthur or checking to make sure no one had overheard her refer to him as ‘Master’ in public. 

“Sorry. Do you mind if I call him that?” Selene asked. It was a slip-up on her part, but Yvonne knew about their relationship and its dynamics. “I guess I could call him My Lord or something, but I’m enjoying being in the twenty-four-seven slave space for as long as I can. I only have a few days before I have to switch back to girlfriend mode full-time.”

“Is hanging out with me so awful? You’d prefer to be off pretending to be someone’s slave?” Yvonne asked, trying to make a joke. 

“Hanging out with you isn’t awful,” Selene said. “But if I have a choice between hanging out with you and playing slave for Master…” she trailed off as she bit her lip.  

“Yeah, that was my fault—terrible question,” Yvonne said and shrugged. “I don’t mind what you call him. I just get a minor flare of envy every time you do, nothing major.” 

Selene checked her expression. “Envy?” 

“Well, yeah,” Yvonne said. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m trying to get over him, and I’ve accepted the situation. It sucks, but I’ve accepted it. It’s just not an effortless transition. Feelings flare, regrets compound, and processing everything takes time, energy, and chocolate before the night’s over. I hope the hotel has hot cocoa.” 

Selene nodded, understanding. She’d try to limit herself around Yvonne if she could, but she didn’t see the point in making futile promises to herself. 

“There’s a spot!” Selene called out. She pointed toward a small but empty table set to the side. It was too tall to sit at, intended for people to stand around with their drinks, but it’d do for standing and eating their soup.

“How did you get him to agree to be your master?” Yvonne asked. “You never told me the story.” 

Selene recalled the scene and grinned. Then her smile faded. “Do you really want to hear it? It might be painful for you.” 

Yvonne considered that, staring at her soup as she transformed her napkin into a bib and tucked its tip into her choker to protect her dress and ample chest. 

Selene did the same, mirroring Yvonne as she spread the protective fibers over her, though she had far less costume to protect. 

“Maybe not,” Yvonne said. “Perhaps another day.” 

Selene nodded, accepting her answer. Besides, it wasn’t much of a story. She’d bought him pizza and asked him to teach her the way of kink. Arthur was her sensei in kink-fu. Her friend-with-bondage-benefits turned boyfriend. She almost laughed at how different things had been, even though calendar-wise it wasn’t that long ago. The days dragged on forever between work and classes. Every hour was an opportunity for change, which brought drama, comedy, and love. 

Selene checked the crowd, but she still didn’t see Arthur. Come to think of it, she didn’t see Kat or Katelyn either. She grinned at the thought of them sneaking off somewhere, doing something sexy. Her body warmed at the thought, and she tingled with anticipation. She hoped Arthur would tell her about it while she sucked his cock later. Nothing beat locking eyes with him as she swallowed his cock, listening to him tell her about his conquests while he ran his fingers through her hair. Well, that with a vibrator was better, but she wasn’t fussy. 

“Can I ask you something?” Yvonne asked, breaking the silence between them. 

“Sure,” Selene said. “But I’m not supposed to corrupt you, so if it’s something sexy, I might not be allowed to answer.” 

Yvonne chuckled. “No, I’ve been trying to recall resentments that Arthur might have against me,” Yvonne said, snapping Selene back to reality. “Things to make up for, specifically, that I’ve said or done that might make him dislike me subconsciously, you know?” 

Selene didn’t, but she let Yvonne continue. Arthur didn’t hold grudges except against Lynn, and maybe Angie. If he said they were okay and that he accepted Yvonne as a friend, she didn’t need to dig any deeper. 

“Can you think of anything I’ve done that pissed him off or hurt him?” Yvonne asked. 

Selene didn’t have to ponder the question for long. A myriad of past arguments between Arthur and Yvonne sprang to Selene’s mind, but most of them weren’t personal. Arthur didn’t take professional disagreements personally unless someone targeted his moral character, which made the argument personal anyway. The list of personal conflicts between them was much shorter. 

One event she hadn’t apologized for yet stuck out in Selene’s mind. It was after Arthur had broken up with Lori and before he and Selene started their arrangement. 

“Well, there’s one, now that you mention it. You kissed him,” Selene said. 

Yvonne raised an eyebrow. “I what? I mean, on stage, sure, but I haven’t kissed him since you two started dating.” 

“Before we started dating,” Selene said. “Way before the harem. The Theater Club leadership went to see Caleb’s Band, remember? Caleb was trying to fake-date Arthur so Logan would take an interest. Even Kat tagged along. We played darts and bet that the winner got a kiss from a loser of their choice.” 

“Oh,” Yvonne said, shrinking. “Yeah, I remember. I threw myself at him, but he was still moping over Lori.”

“Kinda,” Selene admitted. “But when you won at darts, you kissed him.” 

“I remember,” Yvonne said, though it didn’t seem to be a fond memory. “It was after he broke up with Lori, though. He shouldn’t be mad! Arthur wasn’t dating anybody, and it was just a kiss. He didn’t even kiss back. I thought that was because I took him by surprise with it. I’d hoped I kissed him stupid.” 

“Well, yeah, you did. But with his history with Lynn, can you blame him for being upset that you surprised him and planted one on him?” Selene asked. 

“What does that have to do with Lynn?” Yvonne asked. “I wasn’t bullying him or making fun of him. I was genuinely flirting! Throwing myself at him in the bar and in the parking lot afterward.” She blushed at that. “And last week, again. He could have fucked me however he wanted that night, and I’d have thanked him in the morning. Hell, I even considered flashing him just to get it through his thick fucking skull that I liked him and wanted him. He’s just so fucking annoying sometimes with that ‘aw shucks’ anime protagonist idiocy.” 

Selene scoffed and shook her head. “You didn’t ask him. You just went up and kissed him. Fuck, if I’d known what Lynn did to him then? I’d have ripped your fucking face off right there in the bar. You crossed a line, and he let it go, but even thinking about it right now? You’re lucky I promised Arthur no violence, or I’d kick you in the shin.” 

Yvonne flinched. “What?” 

“You kissed him without his permission,” Selene said, spelling it out for her. “You don’t see how that might hurt Arthur, with what Lynn did?” She didn’t want to rehash the whole drama with Lynn, but Yvonne said Arthur told her what happened, so she had to know what Selene was referring to.  

Yvonne blinked, staring at Selene in confusion. “What?”  

“You said he told you what happened with Lynn? How she assaulted him?” Selene asked, confused. She didn’t understand how someone could take two and add two and not get four. Hell, this wasn’t even two plus two. It was one plus one. 

Suddenly, Yvonne’s eyes flared wide, and understanding struck her like a lightning bolt. “Oh my god,” she slumped, leaning forward against the table. “Lynn must have—” She cut herself off. “You mean—” She couldn’t finish her sentence. “Oh, my God! No wonder he hates me! FUCK!”

A few bystanders looked in their direction, confused. Yvonne had gotten louder with each exclamation, drawing more attention with each outburst.

Selene frowned, tilting her head at Yvonne. “Did you not put that together?” 

“I didn’t know!” Yvonne said. 

“What?” Selene asked, confused. 

“I didn’t know! He just told me she bullied him! He never said she did that!” 

“OH!” Selene said, putting it together. “FUCK! I shouldn’t have told you! I’m sorry!” 

More people looked their way but didn’t interfere. 

“No, it’s okay. I’m glad you did, but oh my god!” Yvonne said, crumbling as things slid into place. She rested her elbows on the table beside her food, holding her forehead and framing her face with her hands. Selene watched as years of comments, actions, and attitudes clicked into place for Yvonne. 

Yvonne’s face looked as if Selene had punched her in the stomach and gutted her with her nails. 

When the truth came out to Selene and the others, she remembered not a single dry eye among them. It’d been Arthur telling them the story, and he’d been so upset and hurt. Her master showed them his wounds, and they comforted him together. The experience brought everyone in the harem closer. Yvonne was going through it on her own, and it was second-hand. Her reaction was different. She was empty, with hollow eyes staring at her food. 

“I have to make it up to him,” Yvonne said. “And anything else I’ve done to hurt him, whether or not I knew it.” 

“Not tonight,” Selene said. “He doesn’t need more drama tonight. Given what’s happened since then, I’m not sure he remembers it. Just keep it in mind. When the time is right, the two of you can talk it out.” She couldn’t promise that it would fix things between Yvonne and Arthur, but it would help him heal. False hope could be worse than outright denial, though. So she didn’t offer Yvonne any hope or hint that it might help Arthur overcome his obvious block to seeing Yvonne as a sexual prospect. That might not even be the problem. 

“Fuck!” Yvonne said it again, but this time she was just venting. “You’re right,” Yvonne agreed. She took a deep breath and drew herself to her full height as she stood and set her shoulders. “But I’ll make things right.” 

Selene smiled, encouraging her without words. She nodded, and Yvonne nodded back, before both of them dove into their food. They ate, letting the world flow around them as time ticked on. Arthur, Kat, and Katelyn still hadn’t returned, and their soup bowls were nearly empty before they started talking again. 

“Do you think I should—” 

“Tonight, just have fun,” Selene said. “We’ve earned it.” 

Yvonne nodded, but the air between them turned awkward as Yvonne stared at the center of the table, reliving every interaction she’d ever had with Arthur. Selene knew the expression. It was like rewatching a film after catching a missing scene. 

“I hope I’m not interrupting.” A deep voice turned their attention as a tall African-American man in a Knight Templar outfit approached. Selene was about to shoo him away when she realized who it was. 

“Dave!” Yvonne said, hugging him. “Oh, wait, are you working?” 

“No, I’m off duty. Sometimes the workers who aren’t part of the night crew join the festivities to blow off steam.” He chuckled and offered Selene a nod after Yvonne released him from his hug. “How are you two? Did you enjoy the Faire?” 

“It was a great show,” Yvonne said. “It was so great seeing you on stage. I almost didn’t recognize you in the different costume.” She gestured to his armored outfit. The white tabard had steel shoulders, boots, gauntlets, and a large red cross on its chest and back. 

Dave smiled. “Thanks. The Hatton outfit is for the Faire. This is my personal costume.” He looked at Selene. “What did you think, Selene? Did you like this year’s show better than last year?” 

“Oh, I enjoyed it,” Selene said, offering him a small smile. “It’s just been a busy day.” 

“Yeah,” Dave said. “How are you doing? We haven’t really talked since I graduated.” 

Selene nodded. “I’ve been great. Pretty busy recently.” 

“I saw the rest of the group at different points throughout the day,” Dave said, looking over Yvonne’s shoulder. “Are Arthur and Kelly dating now?” 

“Um,” Yvonne looked at Selene. She might be nervous about how they might interact, but Selene knew how to handle Dave. She had to be direct and rip off the band-aid. 

“Yes,” Selene said, nodding. “So are me and Arthur, Kat and Arthur, Katelyn and Arthur, Mindy and Arthur, and Rani and Arthur. We’re a polycule.” Her delivery was dry, one hundred percent serious, but she allowed a small twitch of her lips to quirk into a grin as she awaited Dave’s reaction.  

Dave blinked at her, staring at her with a blank expression as he processed what she said. Then he noticed her lips twitch, and he laughed. “You had me going for a second there! It’d be like one of those harem anime you love so much. Did you see the new adaptation of Rent-A-Girlfriend?” 

Selene smiled, not protesting the redirection into a topic they’d always loved to discuss, even if they didn’t always agree. “I didn’t really like it,” she admitted. “But I’ll still watch season two when it comes out.” 

“Oh, that’s a shame; I thought it was hilarious,” Dave admitted. “It’s cute. The main character is way over the top, but it’s funny. My girlfriend is a big anime fan, too, though she prefers action more than romance.” 

“Oh, who’s the lucky lady?” Yvonne asked, sliding into a conversation topic she could handle and sparing Selene. 

“Her name’s Iris. She works with me here at the Faire,” Dave said. “She’s supposed to meet me, but she’s getting changed.” 

“Is she nice?” Yvonne asked. “Does she treat you well?” 

Dave chuckled. “Yeah, she’s nice. Be nice to her, and maybe I can put in a good word for you if you’re looking for a part-time gig this time next year.” 

Yvonne chuckled. “Oh, I’d love to work at the Faire, but don’t you have to work full-time on top of this?” 

Dave nodded. “Yeah. We hold auditions in the winter, though if you’re interested. I think it’s December this year. Sometimes, it’s in January.” 

“I’ll keep an eye out for the announcement,” Yvonne said, nodding. 

“You too, Selene. You’d have to wear a more modest costume, but I know how much you love this stuff,” Dave said. 

Selene chuckled, scrunching her nose at his teasing. “Well, forget it then. If I can’t dance around in a bikini, what’s the point of even having a job?” 

Yvonne and Dave laughed with her as a familiar woman approached Dave from behind and slipped her arm around his waist. 

“Oh, Iris, this is a friend of mine from college, Yvonne, and my, uh, ex-girlfriend, Selene,” Dave said, hesitating when he came to Selene’s name. 

Iris’s eyes lit up in recognition at Selene’s name, and her smile widened. “You’re THE Selene?” she asked. 

“My ex, yeah,” Dave said, nodding. “Selene, Yvonne, I’m pleased to introduce you to my girlfriend, Iris.” 

Iris grinned, patting Dave’s chest as if she were declaring him hers. Selene only grinned, and she and Yvonne shared a look of amusement. Iris was gorgeous, with dark black hair that cascaded over her shoulders and a sinner’s body. Her hair, face, and makeup were gorgeous, and her backless dress was silver and slinky, a chainmail pattern Selene hadn’t seen outside of the club. It sparkled in the lights and suited her well, even if it didn’t match Dave’s more thematic costume. 

“Who do you play in the show?” Yvonne asked, looking at Iris as she examined her. “Your face is familiar, but I just can’t place it.” 

“Oh, yeah, it’s different with the makeup, wig, Tudor gown, and accent,” Iris said, chuckling. “I play Queen Elizabeth.” 

“Oh, shit,” Selene said, shocked. “Wow, it really is a transformation.” 

Iris chuckled and shrugged. “Yeah, well, that’s acting for you.” 

Dave chuckled. “Yvonne’s actually the president of Pendleton’s Theater Club, and Selene’s been on stage every semester since she started.” 

“Well, I was,” Yvonne said. “I abdicated. I’m more of an advisor now.” 

“Oh,” Dave said. His mouth hung open in shock. “What happened? Did Caleb finally stage a coup?” 

“Uh,” Yvonne and Selene shared a look. “The stress got to me, and I needed a break. I had a bit of a freak-out, flipped out on everyone, quit, and stormed off.” 

Dave whistled. 

“But we’re good now,” Selene clarified. “Things have calmed down. Yvonne’s back on the team, and we’re going to elect a new president soon. Probably Maria or Arthur.” 

Dave nodded. “Either is a brilliant choice. Arthur was awesome out there today at the chess match.” 

“Oh, is he the barbarian?” Iris asked. “The hot one?”  

Dave nodded. “I don’t know if I’d describe him that way, but yeah.” 

“You know him?” Iris asked. 

“Yeah, he’s a friend of ours. We were in Theater Club together,” Dave said, gesturing to himself, Selene, and Yvonne. 

“Do you know which team he plays for?” Iris asked Selene. “Faith wanted to know if he was straight and single.” 

“I think he’s dating someone else from Pendleton,” Dave said, glancing at Selene with an apologetic expression, as if he were telling her the bad news and not Faith. “I ran into him earlier. It looked like he and Kelly were on a date. That's why I asked about them. He said they were staying for this, but I don’t see them.” 

“Kelly’s over there,” Selene said, gesturing in her general direction. 

“He’s off with one of his other girlfriends,” Yvonne said. She released a wistful sigh. “He keeps taking them back to the bus one by one.” 

Dave blinked again, confused as he stared at Yvonne. 

“I wasn’t joking about the polycule,” Selene clarified. “Arthur’s dating all of us.” 

Iris and Dave both raised their eyebrows.

“Not all of us,” Yvonne clarified. “Just Selene, Kelly, Kat, Katelyn, Mindy, and Rani. They’ve got a whole group polycule thing going.” 

“Wow,” Dave said, surprised. “I knew you were unconventional, but that’s pretty far out there even for you.” 

Selene chuckled. “Oh, come on, you work at the Renaissance Faire. You can’t tell me we’re the first polycule you’ve met.” 

Dave and Iris shrugged. “No, but it’s still weird. You always liked him, but when you didn’t go after him after we broke up, and he and Lori broke up, I figured you were over him.” 

“She gave him time,” Yvonne said, shrugging. “The polycule is a few weeks old at this point. Right, Selene?” 

“Yeah,” Selene agreed. “But it’s been great so far. We get along well, and it’s coming together. Everybody’s happy, even if we have our tiffs sometimes, and drama from outside forces.” 

Dave and Iris nodded, then Dave stopped. “Wait—did you say Kat’s dating him too? Your Kat?” 

“My sister, yeah,” Selene said, nodding. “We don’t do anything together, obviously, but Kat’s a big part of the relationship.” 

“And a big part of the drama,” Yvonne said, making a joke that made her and Selene laugh. 

“So, what about you? How did you two meet?” Selene asked. 

“Oh, uh,” Iris hesitated, checking with Dave to see if he wanted to tell the story, but she pressed forward. “We met at auditions last spring. The Faire started in August, and well, we were spending so much time together and having fun that I came onto him at an after-party and asked him out.” 

“You asked him?” Yvonne asked, surprised. 

“Of course,” Iris said, nodding. “I think my exact words were, ‘Oh, come over and see my collection. I’ll make dinner; we’ll make a night of it.’ And things took off from there.” 

“She has a ton of anime figurines,” Dave explained. “Mostly Gundam.” 

“That’s right; Dave mentioned you were an anime fan!” Selene said, smiling. 

“Mind if we join?” Kelly asked as she, Rani, and Mindy approached the table. It was a small, round table, and the people standing around it shifted to fence Yvonne and Selene into it. 

“Sure!” Selene said. “Dave, Iris, these are my girlfriends Kelly, Mindy, and Rani.” Selene gestured to each in turn. “Kelly, Mindy, and Rani, this is my ex Dave and his girlfriend Iris.” 

Iris’ eyes widened. “Wow, and you’re all dating the same guy?” 

Kelly, Mindy, and Rani laughed. 

“Fuck yeah, we are,” Rani said. “So are Kat and Katelyn, but they snuck off with him somewhere with their food.” 

“Lucky guy,” Iris said.

“He is,” Yvonne said, sighing. 

“We’re lucky, too,” Kelly said. “What were you guys talking about before we came over?” 

“Iris’s anime figurines,” Selene said. 

“Oh!” Mindy perked up, taking an interest. “What’s your favorite series?” 

“Of all time?” Iris asked. “Neon Genesis Evangelion,” she answered immediately. “It’s what got me into anime, so it has a soft spot in my heart.” 

“Nice!” Mindy said, excited. 

“Are you all anime fans?” Iris asked, surveying the group. “Is that why you call yourselves a harem?” 

“No,” Kelly said, shaking her head. “Wait, is it?” She looked at Selene, who shrugged. 

“Personally, I’m more of a Disney enthusiast. I’ve seen the Studio Ghibli movies, but that’s it for me,” said Yvonne. 

“I’ve seen a few of those,” Kelly said. “But none of the series except for that one episode of something we watched last weekend, and I’ve seen clips of things that Katelyn watches.” 

Mindy giggled. “That wasn’t an anime.” 

“What?” Kelly asked, confused. “I thought it—” 

“I’ll explain the nuances later,” Selene said, cutting Kelly off before she could ask what the difference was between an anime and a hentai. Not that she was embarrassed. She was trying not to discuss porn and sex in public. Relationships were one thing. Who was dating who wasn’t explicit, but discussing the nuances of the film they’d watched during a group masturbation session crossed a social line. Selene didn’t need another reason for Arthur to punish her.

She wished Arthur and Kat were here to be proud of her. 

“Hey, there you are.” Arthur’s voice drew everyone’s attention as he approached with Kat and Katelyn attached to his hips. The three of them walked with their arms around each other. They stepped behind Dave and Iris, who turned to see them. 

“Oh, Dave!” Arthur said, removing his arm from around Katelyn and offering him a handshake. 

Dave shook it. 

“Good to see you again. Are you off duty? Or on guard duty now?” Arthur asked, his eyes roaming the man’s armor. 

Dave laughed. “Off duty. Arthur, this is my girlfriend, Iris. Iris, meet Arthur, another college buddy who is apparently dating everyone. This is Selene’s sister, Kat, and you must be Katelyn.” Dave gestured to each as he introduced them, ending with Katelyn, who nodded her confirmation. 

“Oh! I recognize you. I think I took a picture with you and Mindy earlier,” Iris said, nodding at Katelyn. 

Katelyn looked confused, then peered over at Mindy, who shrugged. Selene waited for them to put it together. Iris was taller than the redcap. Who else did they take a selfie with? 

“Wait, did you play the queen?” Mindy asked, surprised. 

“Yeah,” Iris nodded. 

“Oh my god!” Katelyn squealed. “You look so different! Your makeup is amazing!” 

“And you’re so hot!” Mindy said, joining in, then blushing when Iris turned her way. “I mean, compared to how you look as the queen. It hides you, but you have a fantastic figure! The way your dress hangs off your body is peak, and—I’ll stop talking now.” 

Iris laughed. “Thank you. You’re quite sexy yourself. All of you are. I’m jealous of your costumes. I like the chokers too, and the matching flowers in your hair; that’s a nice touch. And do y’all have matching tattoos?” 

The girls smiled. 

“Henna tattoos, but yes!” Mindy said, thrusting her chest forward to show off the Sisterhood of Excalibur tattoo on her breast. 

“That’s hot,” Iris said, nodding her approval.

“Thanks,” Katelyn said, turning Iris’s attention her way. 

“Katelyn and Kat,” Iris said, looking between them. “Doesn’t that get confusing?” 

Arthur shrugged. “Not really.” 

“You could go by Lynn,” Iris said to Katelyn. 

“NO!” everyone, except Dave and Iris, shouted at the same time. 

Iris flinched, surprised by the sudden vehemence in everyone’s unanimous declaration that her innocent suggestion was a terrible idea. 

“Sorry,” Arthur said. “We know someone else named Lynn, and she’s a total…” 

“Cunt,” Rani said. She looked surprised when everyone else looked her way. “What?” She asked, shrugging. “Bitch isn’t strong enough. She’s a fucking ra—” 

“You don’t have to say it again,” Arthur said, raising his hand to stop Rani. “Anyway,” he said, changing the subject. “It’s nice to meet you, Iris. Have you been keeping Dave in line? I know he can go off-script sometimes.” 

“That was one time,” Dave said, groaning. He covered his face with his gauntlet. 

Selene and Yvonne giggled. The others looked confused, except for Dave. 

“I’ll catch everyone up as we head over to the wet chemise contest,” Arthur said. “It was hilarious.” 

“It was nerve-wracking,” Yvonne countered. “I had to come in, and he skipped my cue!” 

“We recovered and brought it back around so you could make your entrance,” Dave protested. 

“Yeah, after five straight minutes of you and Arthur improvising the fuck out of whatever you were doing,” Selene laughed. 

“I was just trying to get us back to the right page. Dave kept trying to move forward with his lines, but if we didn’t go back, we’d miss plot points and an entrance. It was a whole thing,” Arthur said, explaining it to Iris, who was laughing. 

“Oh, this sounds like a good story,” Iris said. “Okay. Tell me all of Dave’s bloopers as we walk.” 

Dave groaned, but he and Iris walked with the group as they left the food area and headed deeper into the Faire.

~~~

The night’s darkness made the fake spiderwebs more sinister and brought out the ghosts, goblins, and ghouls. Heavy darkness ringed the Faire and sat at its center over the lake, but lanterns and shop lights lit the path as the crowd walked through the empty lanes. 

Very few shops were open, and those that were catered to a more adult crowd, offering fare beyond their typical daytime wares. There wasn’t much to do in the way of shopping, though, and no one else paid much attention to their surroundings with Arthur beside them. 

Yvonne walked behind Arthur with Selene beside her, laughing as he told his stories and correcting him when he got a detail wrong. He held Kat’s and Katelyn’s hands as they walked. Dave held Iris’s hand, and she was laughing as Arthur described the more notorious blunders they’d experienced during their shows. 

Not all of them were Dave’s fault, but the ones he featured in were especially hilarious to Iris. She reacted as if the stories were the funniest she’d ever heard. It made sense if their relationship was new; she was still trying to endear herself to Dave. Yvonne wasn’t sure if she was trying to fit in with the group. She’d do well with the Theater Club, but they were off on the Wild Hunt. Iris didn’t seem to have any problem fitting in with the harem, though, especially once the conversation moved away from who was dating whom. 

She was a good match for Dave, spirited and lively, drawing him out of his shell. Dave was the type of guy who needed a push. The awkwardness Yvonne expected to arise between Selene and Dave hadn’t surfaced. She was too happy in her relationship with Arthur, whose friendship had once been a point of contention between her and Dave. That was ancient history now, though. Dave and Arthur were talking, laughing, telling old stories, and carrying on as old friends. 

A dose of normalcy was nice, she supposed, even if it paled compared to her fantasies of what Arthur might make her witness later with the women surrounding them. Coy images of naked women piled onto a bed around Arthur filled Yvonne’s head. She bit her lip, letting her eyes rest on Arthur’s muscled back as she traced the lines of his lats to his spine and the dimples above his waistline. Her eyes lingered on his butt as they walked, making her miss snippets of the conversation. 

“Have you ever been to one of these?” Dave asked. His stare cut through Yvonne’s distraction.

She flinched as if caught with her hand on Arthur’s ass instead of her gaze. “No,” Yvonne answered, shaking her head. “Not sure what to expect, honestly, but it’ll be fun! Right?” 

Dave nodded. “It’s lewd. It’s a wet T-shirt contest.” 

“Sounds hot,” Yvonne said. 

“There’s a decent chance of exposure,” Dave warned, as if Yvonne didn’t understand what a wet T-shirt was.

“We’re prepared for that,” Arthur said, nodding. “We know what we’re getting into.” 

“Yeah!” Rani agreed. “Let’s see those tits!” She mimed lifting her top, but didn’t show her breasts with the motion. 

The girls laughed and whooped as they arrived at the bar and scouted a table. 

Lancelot’s Pub was an outdoor medieval-style tavern with a stage. The lighting was dim, but the stage was well-lit and empty. Fairy lights twined over the pergola and its support beams. Waitresses in costumes ferried drinks and appetizers to customers, and the bartenders kept a steady flow of alcohol moving into the crowd as their group passed through the gate.  

“Are any of you participating?” Iris asked. 

“No,” Selene said, answering for the group. “But we can applaud and support those who do.” 

Their lack of participation was Arthur’s doing, which Yvonne considered odd but hot. How many men in the greatest romance novels would kill a man just for looking at their woman? Yvonne wondered what the secret was, why they brought out that possessiveness in him, and she didn’t. She’d give anything if Arthur would look at her, growl, and tell her she was his and no other man could ever see or touch her again. 

Yvonne tried as hard as she could to stop imagining it. She’d messed up in the past, but she’d make it up to him. Of course, that would be easier if he returned her feelings. 

“Besides,” Kelly said. “It’d be uncomfortable if it were just a bunch of horny men in the crowd. If we’re cheering, it’s more appropriate.”

“Not that we’re condoning the objectification of women,” Rani said. “Unless they want that, in which case, more power to them!” 

“Woo!” Mindy said, cheering them on. “Let’s ogle some tits!”  

“Yeah, gotta give us horny women a chance, too,” Iris said, giggling with the others. Dave rolled his eyes and shook his head, but didn’t protest as he laughed. 

With ten people in their party, they were the largest group, so if they wanted to stick together, they had to push two tables together. Dave and Iris took the excuse and split off, finding a smaller table near the bar. Kelly secured a large table on the far left of the tavern, just behind the splash zone. The staff had marked off the first two rows of chairs to warn patrons. It was sparsely populated, but they were early. Most people were arriving behind them.

The girls positioned Arthur in the middle of the table. He kept his back against the half-wall that fenced in the outdoor tavern. Katelyn and Kat sat on either side of him, with Kelly beside Katelyn and closest to the stage.

Selene slid in across from Arthur, and Yvonne sat beside her, across from Kat. Her skirts took some arranging, but she managed it. Mindy sat across from Katelyn, and Rani sat across from Kelly.

They were far from the only women in attendance, but they drew attention as a group of young, fit, and attractive women. The crowd skewed toward men, with a bunch of college-aged guys moving to take up the tables toward the front. A few moved back from the front to protect the leather in their costumes from the splash zone. 

The poor waitress took their drink orders in a hurry. They were still waiting for their drinks when a man with black hair and gray at his temples took the stage. His court jester costume was excellent. Bells decorated the yellow-and-purple diamond pattern of his outfit and his curled-toed shoes. “Welcome, one and all, to our lovely event, the wet chemise contest!” 

A cry of cheer went up from the crowd as he raised his hand. “A reminder! Nudity is not consent! Do not touch our lovely contestants! Keep your hands to yourself, and we’ll let you keep your hands. Otherwise, well, we’ll let the ladies cut off whatever bits they consider just.” 

Laughter from the women in the crowd became a roar of approval. 

“You folks in the front rows here, beware! This is a live show! And we splash people with water! Actual water! It follows the laws of fluid dynamics and everything! You might get a few drops, or more! How wet you get while watching our ladies is up to you!” 

The women in the crowd chuckled. A group of people on the right moved, and another group took their table. 

“No pictures, cameras, or filming!” He reminded the audience. “Or we’ll put your device in one of our buckets, put that bucket in a bear trap, and let you try your luck.” 

Laughter again. Yvonne didn’t believe the threats for a second, but the rules were clear, and she appreciated them. It was a pity Arthur didn’t want her that way. She couldn’t seduce him with a wet chemise, even with her best assets locked and loaded. If Arthur hadn’t been there, she imagined the other women in the Theater Club would have gotten on stage to strut their stuff. 

Yvonne wondered if Selene might do it anyway. She was half-tempted to ask, but the girls had made it clear they wouldn’t take part. Arthur was fine if they dressed like sluts, but naked was too far? Yvonne sighed. She supposed she understood it. Teasing others was one thing. Showing their bodies and letting others know they belonged to him was hot, desirable, and fun. It boosted his ego and made his girlfriends a status symbol for him, which was hot as fuck. 

Full nudity was a step beyond that. Still, Yvonne enjoyed performing for an audience, and it was fun to combine that with the idea of seducing Arthur. She needed him to see her in ‘that way,’ a sexual way, as a sexual creature with wants, needs, and kinks that could fill a niche he didn’t already have. She hoped.

Her opportunities to seduce him, to encourage and convince him, would be slim in the future. In truth, it wasn’t only him she had to seduce. Kelly, Rani, and Mindy liked girls, so if she could seduce them, too, she might have a better shot at convincing Arthur. Even Selene had said she’d found Yvonne attractive, so would participating in this competition let Selene help her into the harem? 

There had to be a way in. Yvonne wondered how many women Arthur wanted to date. He had six, which was more than Yvonne thought reasonable, but she set that judgment aside. If he had six, was seven terrible? There was always room for one more, right? There were only so many days in a week, she supposed. Arthur could only go on so many dates. Even if he was fit as fuck, he was still human. His stamina must have a limit. How many women could he make love to in one night? 

That question didn’t help ease her yearning. Still, it would be fun to seduce Arthur and his girlfriends in front of a crowd. She let her eyes linger on Kelly as she surveyed the tavern. She looked at Selene. Doing anything directly to Arthur was off the table. She couldn’t kiss or touch her way into Arthur’s heart. She could, however, show him what he was missing, seduce him, and maybe make him jealous. 

“Now! I see we have lots of lovely ladies out there in our audience!” The jester blocked the light with his hand and scanned the audience. His eyes lingered on Arthur’s table, and he pointed at Kelly. “This is an audience-participation show! Do we have any volunteers tonight? Show of hands?” 

Six hands rose from the audience, but none of them were at Arthur’s table. The jester pointed at the raised hands, plucking them from the audience and directing them to the stage. A woman with a tablet had them sign waivers and checked IDs (despite the entire event being eighteen and older). Yvonne watched as the women lined up beside the stage. Six women. Six plus one? 

“Anyone else?” The jester scanned the tables. “I see splendid sirens among you! We have several shiny prizes for anyone willing to have their fun! What say you, lasses?” He asked, looking at their table. 

Kelly shook her head. Mindy looked at Arthur, who shook his head. “No,” he said. “You’re mine.” 

Mindy bit her bottom lip and squeezed Rani’s hand in a way that told Yvonne she’d thank Arthur for his possessiveness later. Even Rani seemed thrilled that Arthur was being more dominant.

Yvonne whimpered at Arthur’s words. 

Selene nudged Yvonne. “Are you okay?” 

“No,” Yvonne whispered. “I want him to say that to me.” 

“To say what?” Selene asked, not having clocked Arthur’s possessive words as unusual. 

“I want to show him what he’s missing,” Yvonne clarified. There was only one ‘him,’ she could be referencing. “But I don’t want him to think I’m a slut,” Yvonne said. “No offense.” 

“None taken.” Selene chuckled. “He doesn’t call me a slut because I want other men. For me, it’s more about how society labels any woman who enjoys sex as a slut, and well, I enjoy sex. A lot.” 

Yvonne swallowed, nodding her understanding. “Do you think I stand a chance?” 

“Of winning?” Selene asked, confused. “Of course! You’ve got a fantastic pair of breasts, and as for the showmanship? Please. You’ve got more showmanship in your pinky than any of those contestants do in their whole bodies.”

“Should I go for it?” Yvonne asked. 

“Do what you want,” Selene said. “That’s my philosophy.” 

Yvonne blushed, her face burning, which drew Arthur’s attention.

“Selene,” he said with his tone full of warning as if she were about to earn a spanking. “What are you doing to Yvonne?” 

The eyes at the table turned in their direction, which made Yvonne’s blush burn brighter. As if to escape, Yvonne launched her hand into the air. Arthur’s eyes widened in surprise. 

“Yvonne,” Arthur said. 

Yvonne’s eyes snapped to his without her conscious thoughts, as if her name were a command for her attention. Arthur balked, swallowing his words and whatever he was going to say as he looked into her eyes. 

He said nothing, so Yvonne charged into the silence.  

“You can’t tell me what to do,” Yvonne said, her blush still on her cheeks as she lifted her chin to look haughty. “I’m not one of your women, remember? You’ve made that clear. So, let me have my fun. Just because you don’t want me doesn’t mean nobody does.” She pushed off from the table and walked toward the stage to the welcoming applause of the crowd. 

Yvonne didn’t care if others wanted her. She wanted only one man, and she wanted him to want her. 

~~~

Arthur turned his gaze on Selene as Yvonne walked away. “Did you tell her to volunteer?” 

Selene tilted her head. “No! Are you angry with me, my lord?” 

“I will be if you don’t tell me the truth,” Arthur said. “Did you tell Yvonne to volunteer?” 

“No, Sir. I didn’t. I promise I didn’t push her to do anything, but I encouraged her to do whatever she wanted,” Selene admitted. “She asked if I thought she could win. I said yes because, well, she can. And it’d be hypocritical of me to suggest anyone deny their desires, my lord.” She bowed her head, but Kat kicked her in the shin. Not hard, but enough to let her know Kat had read her like a book. 

Arthur grumbled, but Katelyn soothed him with a hug on his arm, a kiss on his cheek, and moved his hand to her thigh under the table. Clever girl. Selene smiled. Katelyn knew how to distract Arthur as he mellowed, and everyone turned toward the stage. 

“Before the festivities, why don’t we introduce our lovely sirens!” The jester said. “Be sure to applaud and show your love for your favorites!” 

He guided the first girl onto the stage and handed her a wireless microphone after whispering instructions. 

“Hey everybody!” The woman cheered. She wore a typical peasant costume, but appeared fit beneath it, even if it did nothing to show off her figure. She had to be in her thirties, with curly black hair that reminded Selene of Jen. “My name’s Crystal!” A wolf whistle from one of the nearby tables made her smile as she waved to her friends. “I’m an accountant from DC. Root for me!” 

She danced away as the crowd applauded. 

“Hello!” The second woman pumped her fist. She was tall, small-chested, long-haired, and had a sharp but charming face. Selene guessed she was in her twenties and slim for a wet T-shirt contest, but Selene supposed she knew what she was doing. Her rogue costume consisted of black cotton strips wrapped around her limbs, fingerless gloves, a black vest, and shorts over tights that disappeared into her tall boots with silver buckles. “My name is Devon! I’m a waitress from Texas!” 

Her applause was more polite, but she got a few whoops as she swayed her hips while walking away. 

“Hi everyone!” The third woman took the mic. She was younger, college-aged, and a partier, judging by her clothes. She had dressed for the club, with a white lingerie corset and a pair of white booty shorts beneath it. She showed off her athletic frame and D-cup tits, lifted in the corset. The white cape made the outfit modest or immodest, depending on how she let it fall. She had it behind her for her presentation, baring her shoulders and revealing her body. “My name’s Evie and this is my first time at the Faire!” The crowd applauded. “I’m a college student from Pendleton, here to have fun!” 

Arthur’s table looked at each other, shrugging. Pendleton was a large campus, and she had a faint aura of familiarity. Only Arthur and Mindy bore expressions of recognition, and Arthur froze as she caught his eye from the stage and winked. 

“She, uh, works at our office,” Arthur said, gesturing between him and Mindy. “Didn’t know she was coming here this weekend.” 

The others nodded, and Evie handed the mic off to the friend she’d volunteered with. 

“Hi everyone!” The fourth woman was also college-aged. She was pretty and shorter than Evie, with average breasts, but a damn-near perfect caboose, which she showed off by turning and shaking it at everyone. Her black outfit was even skimpier than Evie’s: a corset, cape, boots, gloves, and a modest bikini bottom. The crowd loved it, cheering her on as they clapped and hollered. “My name’s Katie! I’m also a college student at Pendleton, here to win!” 

No one from Arthur’s table recognized her. Not every student knew every other student, beyond the air of vague familiarity in the face of someone they might have seen once in passing. 

“You should seduce her,” Rani said, leaning across the table toward Arthur. “You can get an entire group of Kats. A pride? A litter?” 

“Fuck off,” Kat snapped. “He’s ours.” She squeezed his arm extra-tight.

Rani laughed, as did the others at the table. Selene smiled, chuckling to herself at the very idea. Katerine, Katelyn, and Katie? What was next? Kathy? Kathleen? Kathryn? Katrina? There had to be other names that started with Kat, but Selene didn’t think adding more of them to the harem based on names was a good idea. 

“I wouldn’t mind if she came to the orgy,” Katelyn said, winking at Rani. “She’s hot.” 

“Right?” Rani asked. She turned toward Arthur with a mischievous pout under her face veil. “Please, my king? At least let me invite them.” 

Arthur sighed but didn’t answer as the next girl took the mic. He must have assumed that Rani was joking, but Selene noticed her pumping her fist as if she’d scored a victory. 

After Katie, an older woman in her forties, took the microphone. “Hey everyone! My name’s Nicola!” Selene couldn’t tell if her Slavic accent was real or fake, but her outfit was a set of silky green robes that showed off her legs. “I’m a law clerk! Root for me!” 

A voluptuous brunette came up next, but her cute freckles looked to be the product of makeup, while her hair shone under the stage lights. “My name’s Tegan, and I’m gonna win this thing!” She said, thrusting her chest upward to display her buxom cleavage. She had an under-bust corset and a white top, but didn’t appear to be wearing a bra as her breasts bounced in their flimsy, scrunched cotton cage. Her short skirt was more like a miniskirt. Its pleats flew out as she twirled, flashing the crowd a glimpse of her cheeks through a small pair of black panties. 

Finally, Yvonne took the stage, her Cinderella dress the most modest of the volunteers. Selene smiled as she recognized Yvonne’s stage presence rolling over the crowd. She radiated charisma as she straightened her spine and showed off her massive breasts that squished against the bodice of her dress. She pulled at the shoulder strap, showing off more skin. 

“My name’s Yvonne, and I’m going to win this fucker!” 

The crowd cheered. 

“I’m a singer from Riverside! Let me hear you cheer!” 

The cheering grew louder. 

“Come on! Is that the best you can do for me?” 

Yvonne leaned forward, grabbing the edge of her neckline and pulling it. She didn’t flash anyone but revealed even more of her pillowy flesh to the guys in the front row who went nuts over her. The cheers for her thundered over the fairgrounds and were the loudest of the introductions. 

It helped that Kelly, Mindy, Rani, and even Selene were making enough noise to support her and match the college guys’ energy at the front. Yvonne made Evie seem shy as she gave the crowd a sultry look that could seduce a statue, then turned, looked over her shoulder, and winked. Satisfied with having won that round, Yvonne passed the mic back to the jester as if she were doing him a favor and rejoined the contestants. 

Selene watched Arthur stiffen and lean forward, as if he were about to move from the table and put a stop to Yvonne’s participation. She bit her lip as she watched Kat and Katelyn’s hands shift to his lap under the table. She didn’t doubt they were under his loincloth, keeping a firm grip on the situation to keep him in his seat. 

Yvonne might be under his protection, but that didn’t mean she was part of his harem. He had no right to forbid her from the contest. Selene wondered if he was finally being honest with himself about his attraction to her, but if so, he’d admitted nothing. 

“What a lineup!” The jester shouted, throwing his hands into the air for more applause. “Okay, ladies, head backstage and get changed! We’ll wait for you out here!” 

The woman with the tablet held a curtain aside for them. The volunteers filed through it, waving to the crowd before disappearing. Yvonne caused a ruckus by blowing a kiss and making eyes at the rowdy guys. Each of whom argued that she had intended the kiss for them, not for their neighbor. 

“Wow,” Rani said, turning to look at Selene. “Damn. That girl knows how to get a crowd eating out of her hand. Those guys by the stage are losing their shit over Yvonne.” 

Selene chuckled. “Oh, for sure. She has whatever the opposite of stage fright is.” 

Rani chuckled. “How are you doing with that?” She looked at Arthur. “You looked ready to charge the stage and steal her away. Are you going to fly into a barbarian rage, storm into the back room, and carry her off into the night?” 

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Arthur said, rolling his eyes. “It’s fine. She’s her own woman.” 

“Uh-huh,” Rani said, deadpan and full of disbelief. She looked at Katelyn. “How hard is he?” 

“He’s harder than the table,” Katelyn reported, knocking on the wood with her free hand. 

Mindy giggled, launching the others into a bout of laughter as the waitress arrived with their drinks. The ‘magic’ straws in each drink were a surprise. Even Mindy, who’d gotten a soda, got one, but Arthur hadn’t. His whiskey didn’t come with a straw. Leaving him out because he was a guy bothered Selene. It reminded her of discussing the statistics with her professor and learning how the resources dedicated to survivors were so much sparser for men. 

“Are you okay?” Kat asked, breaking Selene’s concentration. 

“Hm?” Selene asked, looking over at Kat. “Yeah, I’m fine, just thinking.” 

“Fantasizing about slipping under the table?” Rani asked, as if having the same thoughts. “We should let Kat do it. She’s the only one who won’t enjoy the show.” 

Kat stuck her tongue out at Rani. “I can have fun with the rest of you; just because I’m straight doesn’t mean I’m afraid of tits.” 

“I’d hope not,” Mindy said, cupping her breast in one hand. “We couldn’t be friends if boobs scared you.” 

“Oh my god, is that why she’s friends with me?” Katelyn asked, spreading her fingers over her small chest. She was the flattest of the group and looked around Arthur to Kat. “Does my lack of chest make you feel safe?” 

“What?” Kat asked, surprised and shaking her head as a familiar pink bloom spread across her cheeks. “No! Shut up. I’m not scared of breasts or vaginas, for that matter.” 

“That’d be so sad if you were,” Rani said, still teasing her. “Our weekly get-togethers would be like a haunted house for you.” 

“But with sex instead of horror,” Mindy added, sticking her finger through her fist. “Plap plap.” 

Rani lost it at the ‘plap plap’ noise Mindy made, and the entire table erupted into laughter with her. 

“Okay, ladies, gentlemen, and Faire folk!” 

The jester returned with aplomb. “May I present this year’s fresh catch of lovely, sultry, sexy, and seductive sirens!” 

The crowd applauded as the women emerged from backstage. Each one wore an identical bleach-white nightgown. Frills and lace ringed their necklines and cuffs, which ended three-quarters of the way along their arms. The hems reached their calves, with a one-size-fits-all size that left the material billowing around some of them. The stage lights highlighted their forms beneath the outfits, suggesting that they weren’t wearing anything under the white, not-quite-sheer-yet material. 

Rani whistled at the stage, as did Kelly, applauding as the crowd greeted the contestants. 

Yvonne emerged last, but not least, having tied a small piece of twine around her waist to cinch the dress and give it more shape than the others. She still wore her black choker, too. She let her hair down and ran her fingers through it as if under a shower. The guys in front turned feral. One of them tossed a flower onto the stage at her feet. She picked it up, sniffed it, smiled, and held it as the contest continued. 

“Oh, he didn’t like that,” Katelyn said, gulping as she looked at Arthur. 

“Are you jealous?” Rani asked, looking at Arthur. “You didn’t want her, right? So why should you care if she moves on, my king?” 

Arthur glared at Rani. “You don’t want her to join the harem either.” 

Rani smiled, shrugging. “I am but your humble concubine, my king. I do what you want. Want me to pull Yvonne offstage? It’s not too late to stop her.” 

“Let her have her fun,” Kelly said, cutting in for the first time since Yvonne volunteered. “I understand your protective instinct, Honey, but she’s not in any danger. It’s a safe, controlled environment, and she’s cutting loose.” 

“She’s doing this because I told her not to,” Arthur argued. 

“Maybe,” Kat said. “But she’s not yours to spank. You’ll have to take it out on someone else later.” 

Selene chuckled, drawing Kat’s ire. “What? I’m not allowed to chuckle at you having competition for the biggest brat title?” 

Kat rolled her eyes. “Yvonne’s not my competition. She’s not even in our league.” 

“Oh, we’re a league now,” Mindy said, chuckling. “We should get matching jackets.” 

The group laughed. Now that the women were back on stage, the jester reintroduced them, reminding the crowd of their names. He said their names; they stepped forward and moved in ways that encouraged the crowd’s ardor. They pulled the chemises tight against their chests, swayed their hips, danced with their hands in the air, spun, and twirled. They pulled their skirts up to show their legs and tease the crowd without flashing or exposing themselves. 

Yvonne turned the dial to eleven when it was her turn. She danced with each subtle flex of her body making the crowd’s eyes rake over her. Her breasts were big, but remained high on her chest despite their weight. She used their movement to control the crowd and teased them as she used her hands to squish her breasts together and form a heart over her left nipple. 

Her gaze never left the front row, as if she were afraid that looking in Arthur’s direction would break her character. The focus she maintained was magnetic. She wove a spell over the men in the crowd and had them ready to howl, beg, rush the stage, or rush the street at her command. 

“She is fucking amazing at this,” Rani said, breathless.

“Yeah,” Mindy agreed. 

“Are you sure she—” Rani asked, but stopped when she saw Arthur’s face. 

Arthur clenched his jaw so tightly that it looked painful. 

Selene sat up straight, blushing and melting at her core. She wanted to rub herself, but knew she wasn’t allowed any pleasure without her master’s approval. Instead, she watched the show, turning to see the stage as the jester moved them on to the next part of the contest. 

“If you want to stop her, my lord, you’d better do it soon,” Selene said.

~~~

Arthur grumbled in his seat, frustrated as Kat and Katelyn teased him, and as Yvonne danced on stage to the cheers of the raucous crowd. Their teasing grips and gentle rubs had him straining against the built-in briefs beneath his loincloth. Not to mention the sexy show on stage, even with Yvonne’s participation. Or because of it.

Despite his confidence that he wasn’t attracted to her that way, it was hard not to react to her body when she put it on display. 

Her heavy breasts were soft, and she knew how to move to draw attention to them. The rest of her body was in good shape, though she didn’t have a hard gym body. She was soft, someone to cuddle with, and Arthur had to stop himself from imagining holding her as he fell asleep. Not that he imagined for a second she could relax for an entire night.

If he removed her personality and their long history of butting heads from the equation, then yes, she was an attractive young woman. Objectifying her couldn’t be the only way she was appealing, though. That wasn’t healthy. And now, she was dancing, rocking her hips and accentuating her breasts in nothing but a nightgown in front of a crowd. 

He should put a stop to it. His primal brain wanted to overturn the table, rush the stage, and carry Yvonne off to parts unknown. But doing so was an overstep. He’d said he didn’t want a romantic relationship with Yvonne. They were friends, not lovers. He didn’t want or have any claim over her. So, he had no right to stop her the way he had stopped his girlfriends. 

As hot as they were dancing in a wet, transparent t-shirt or less, the idea that an entire crowd would see them cooled the idea for him. Showing off his women was one thing, but showing everything? Perhaps he was giving in to playing the barbarian he dressed as, but they were his—no one else’s. 

Then again, he knew that was hypocritical. He enjoyed his evening as a stripper, and showing off his body to the reaction, nay, the thrill of several women. Women he didn’t know, who wanted nothing but his body from him, screaming and showing their desire for him with money, alcohol, and cheers? He loved every minute when he was dancing, and he’d do it again. Yet, even knowing how much Selene enjoyed being on stage and dancing, he’d denied her the opportunity. 

Guilt tried to egg him into it, but as soon as his eyes fell to the collars around their necks, it yielded to his sense of jealous possession. They were his girlfriends, and their playfulness was for him to enjoy, not the crowd. The only people who got to see them naked were those he let join them. His girlfriends didn’t wear their enticing costumes for others; they wore them for him. He grinned at the thought of pulling them away and tearing off their costumes. His eyes even turned dark as they fell on Yvonne, adding her to the fantasy.

“Holy shit, look at him,” Rani said, nudging Selene as she met Arthur’s eyes. “My king, do you have feelings for Yvonne? Do you want to stop her from showing off to the crowd? You can add her to your concubines and keep her for yourself. She can be another Beth.” 

Arthur sighed, closing his eyes to shut out the show and the crowd. Katelyn’s gentle grip over his stiff cock tightened.

“You’re going to regret teasing him,” Kat warned. “Trust me. He doesn’t unwind when you wind him up until he has his way with you.” 

Rani chuckled. “Don’t threaten me with a good time.”

“I’m just frustrated,” Arthur said. “I don’t know why she’s doing this. Because I told her not to do it?”

Rani chuckled. “She’s trying to seduce you, obviously.” 

“She said she was okay with just being friends,” Arthur said. “Maybe she’s doing it to punish me for telling the rest of you no. She’s just trying to embarrass me.”

“How is her showing off her naked body embarrassing to you? If anything, it’d embarrass her. No, she wants you. And the way you’re reacting makes me think you want her, too.” Rani said. 

“Stop it,” Arthur said. “You’re not helping.”

“Aw. Did I touch a nerve with my teasing?” Rani asked before she sipped her drink. “I’m sorry, my king. You can spank me for misbehaving later.”  

“Stop teasing him,” Kelly said. “I thought you didn’t want Yvonne in the harem?” 

“Well, yes, but she’s hot,” Rani countered. “I don’t know. If she’s willing to share, she wouldn’t be the worst addition, but she’d have to realize she’s sharing him. She’s not getting Arthur to herself. I voted against her when she wanted to steal him from us, and she seemed incapable of sharing. She’s mellowed.” 

“So days ago,” Arthur said, chuckling. “She needs more time. She’s still not joining us tonight.” 

“Whatever you say, my king,” Rani said.

“He barely has time as is,” Kat argued. “Stop trying to get him to fuck everyone!” 

“We’re just friends,” Arthur said, trying to soothe Kat. “Don’t worry. I’m not interested in Yvonne that way.” 

“If you’re just friends, shouldn’t you be rooting for her? She can win this thing,” Mindy said, eyeing the contestants. “She’s hot, and she has more stage presence than the professional performers we’ve seen at the Faire.” 

“Oh, fuck yeah,” Rani said. “No wonder she and Arthur have butted heads. She’s got huge…” Rani suspended the phrase for effect. “Personality.” 

Mindy giggled. “And jugs. Ugh. She might even be bigger than me up top, and her hips? I wish I had her hips. She’s so curvy!” 

“She reminds me of Lori,” Selene said. “A bit.” 

“Oh, is that why you don’t like her?” Mindy asked Arthur. “She reminds you too much of your ex?” 

“No,” Arthur said, sighing. He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Kelly, can you get them to stop teasing me? Or do I have to threaten them with flogging?” 

“Stop teasing him about Yvonne,” Kelly said. “Or he won’t be the only one to make you regret it.” 

“Oh, shit,” Rani said, waggling her eyebrows. “Is Mistress Kelly back? Okay.” 

“Are her tits bigger than mine?” Mindy asked, having missed part of the exchange while watching the girls on stage. 

“Don’t compare yourself to her too much,” Rani said to Mindy. “You’ve got a smaller waist,” Rani said, sliding her arms around Mindy. “And your tits are perfect for your frame, nice and big.” Rani squeezed her breast over the corset cup. 

Mindy giggled, swatting Rani’s hands away. “I’m not saying my tits aren’t great; they are, but Yvonne is hot. That doesn’t take away from me, right?” 

“Of course not,” Rani assured her.

“Of course not,” Arthur agreed, opening his eyes once more. 

“Alright, ladies and gentlemen, and Faire folk! It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for!” The jester announced, then produced an old-fashioned wooden bucket with a rope handle and handed it to the first contestant. She set it at her feet, and the jester produced another six, with each girl holding their bucket. “Okay, raise them above your heads, and when I count three, pour!” He paused, making sure the audience was paying attention. “One! Two! Three!” 

Each woman doused themselves with water from their bucket, many coating their heads and letting the water drip from there. Evie and Yvonne aimed the bucket less appropriately, splashing water onto their chests and turning their shifts see-through in an instant. 

The cold water, combined with the cool night air, stiffened their nipples beneath the now-transparent garb. Whistles, screams, and hollers rose from the crowd as they posed. Each movement pulled the transparent material tight against their fronts, showing off their bodies. 

Arthur’s eyes scanned them, clenching his jaw as he surveyed the row of breasts. He could even tell who had a bush and who didn’t, though the shifts fell away from the dry spots on their bodies, masking the details of that region until the water trickled to it. 

“Do you want me to go under the table?” Katelyn whispered in his ear. “I can help you sort out your problem, Big D.” 

The problem was that he had to wince from the strain against his briefs. They were stiff leather with little give. He was ready to burst through them as the girls splashed more water on themselves. They pulled their long shifts against them to show as much of their bodies as possible and ran their hands over them to flatten the shifts against their wet skin. 

Arthur gulped and looked around. No one was watching their table except for a pair of girls on stage. 

Evie was making direct eye contact with him as she groped her breasts. She slid her hands over her stomach to press the sheer material against her, letting it stick between her legs to show her clean-shaven pussy. 

Arthur couldn’t help but notice her and her roommate watching him for signs of reaction. He shouldn’t look. Evie was his subordinate at work, but they weren’t at work, and Mindy was cheering them on, as were many members of the crowd. 

“Now isn’t the time,” Arthur said, answering Katelyn. 

She pouted, her cute lower lip quivering. “Please? I need something in my mouth.” 

Arthur rested his arm over her shoulders and pressed his finger to her lips to silence her. Katelyn took his finger into her mouth, sucking on it as if it were something else. She swirled her tongue around it and held his hand when he went to move it away, pushing his finger back into her mouth. 

It did not help to reduce the erection straining against his briefs. 

“Selene,” Kat said, gesturing to her. “Master needs you.” She pointed at the tabletop, and Selene’s grin spread. Selene glanced at Arthur for permission, and he nodded. She slipped under the table in an instant, using Rani and Mindy to block anyone from seeing her. Rani even shifted to the side and pulled Mindy with her, blocking the view if anyone glanced their way, despite the distraction on stage. 

The only tell on Arthur’s side was the brief lift of his hips as Selene slid his loincloth to his thighs. She rested his balls on top of it and swallowed his cock without delay, sucking him and holding her nose against the base of his abs as she throated him. Selene squeezed her throat around him in repeated swallows without moving her tight lips. She pulled back when she needed air, breathed through her nose, then slid forward again, swallowing him and holding him in repeated movements. 

Arthur’s vision blurred at the sensation of sheathing himself in Selene’s throat. Doing it in public was risky, but the thrill of it coursed through him. His back was to the half-wall, which hid Selene as well. There was no one on either side of them, and Kat, Katelyn, Rani, and Mindy hid Selene. No one could see her.

It was risky, but hot, and they knew their safewords, as did he. So, he tried to watch the show. It still annoyed him that Yvonne was on stage. He did his best not to look at her, but he failed. She had a gravity that drew his eyes to her, and he couldn’t refute that she was gorgeous. In her element, on stage, commanding everyone’s attention, Yvonne was unparalleled. Her dark hair fell in a cascade with the wet ends flat against her body, framing her breasts. Her gorgeous face was grinning with her lips and shy with her eyes, as if she didn’t command the crowd’s attention with every intentional gesture and expression. 

Yvonne, however, didn’t look at him. The white material of her chemise had turned into nothing but a transparent veil clinging to her body. Her breasts were high and prominent, wet and bare beneath the veil. Her stiff nipples peaked and budded on each round pink areola at the end of each long, heavy breast. She played with them, dancing with the others, and letting the bottom half of her shift cling and fall away as it wanted. She didn’t press her chemise against her below-the-belt region. Instead, she flashed it as she swished her skirt and laughed at the crowd’s reaction, telling them they had to be louder than that to woo her. 

The young men in the front row were screaming themselves hoarse for her. They didn’t need their voices; if only she’d come over to them and sit on their faces. She considered their offers, laughing as they made fools of themselves for her, even fighting each other to get her attention. 

Kat’s hand on his thigh tightened, and he turned to face her. He let her distract him, kissing her as Katelyn sucked on his finger, and Selene sucked on his cock. Arthur slid his remaining hand between Kat’s legs, and she spread them enough for him to find her. He rubbed her, teasing her, even as she clung to him. 

“And now, the other side!” The jester shouted, delivering more buckets for the girls. “When I call your name, stand here and put your hands against the wall. Girls, you know what to do!” He winked, signaling that when someone put their hands on the wall, they were to splash them with water. “Crystal!” 

Crystal went first, turning her back toward the audience and placing her hands high on the wall, as if she were standing spread-eagled. The other contestants lined up, three on each side, with their buckets ready. At a signal from the jester, they tossed their water at her and splashed it against the wall. It sprayed over her and drenched her entire backside from the back of her head to her calves. The material instantly turned transparent, clinging to her wet skin to show off her form. The curve of her ass and her cheeks were the most prominent, and the crowd erupted. 

“Oh, damn,” Rani said. “This is hotter than I imagined. I think it’s unlocking a new fetish for me. I’m loving the wet look.” 

“Good thing there’s a pool at the house,” Mindy said, smiling at Rani. “Just don’t push me in all the time.” 

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Rani said, then gave Arthur a noticeable wink behind Mindy’s back. 

Arthur chuckled, returning his attention to Kat and making out with her. She was demanding, as if redirecting his arousal in her direction, and he didn’t protest. Sure, Kat could get jealous, but she deserved his attention after the day they had. He enjoyed the press of her soft lips against his. She so rarely allowed herself to be soft with anyone around that he needed to reward her. At least, that was likely her argument for why she was so demanding that he kiss her and not pay attention to the stage. Even then, he was aware of what was going on and caught glimpses as he and Kat came up for breath. 

Devon followed Crystal, and they followed the order of introductions after that. Evie followed Devon, but she went extra-lewd with her pose, bending in half and arching her back so that she thrust her ass at the audience. She twerked to taunt the others, giving them something to aim at. The result was that most of the water splashed against her ass. It turned the entire dress transparent below the waist and arced mere inches above her butt. 

Evie pulled the material between her spread legs, showing the crowd her sex before she straightened and let the dress fall away again. 

Her roommate, Katie, followed her example. Her ass was larger and more shapely, drawing a stronger reaction. Each contestant did their best to up the ante. Tegan, the woman before Yvonne, flipped her dress up after they splashed her. She bared her ass to the crowd and shook it for them. Then she moved her legs together, dropped low into a squat, then rose to a bent-over position and snapped upright. The bend-and-snap proved effective, sending the crowd into a frenzy. 

“I don’t know how Yvonne’s going to top that,” Rani said. Arthur watched Yvonne assume the position. She didn’t bend over. Instead, she stood straight, pressing her nose to the wall and holding her hands behind her as if protecting herself from a spanking. He couldn’t turn away as the girls threw the water over her. At the last second, she pressed her palms against her cheeks and spread her fingers. She spread her cheeks, letting the water hit everywhere and soak through her chemise except for the two handprints of ‘dry’ material on her ass. 

Rani wet her lips at the sight, and the crowd went nuts over it. 

Arthur watched the water trickle and invade the white handprints. With most of her ass presented except for those, it was enough to make him twitch inside Selene’s throat. As if taking a cue, Selene swallowed against him and hummed something. He couldn’t hear what tune she was humming over the applause of the crowd. The girls lined up with their backs to the audience and shook their asses at the crowd as the jester called them out, name by name. 

Selene redoubled her efforts when the jester pointed to the girls for voting. 

Crystal, Evie, and Yvonne were the crowd’s top three. They danced around, showing their fronts, sides, and backs from every wet, clinging angle. Once he had narrowed it down, the jester presented the girls again, this time for the final vote. 

Crystal received a roar from the other side of the tavern. Her friends were encouraging her. A group of men and women supported her, cheering her on along with others throughout the crowd. 

Evie was next, and her fans in the crowd cheered for her. A group near the bar were her loudest supporters, though she didn’t seem to be with any of them. 

Even with the cheers from the bar, Yvonne was the undisputed winner. Between the guys at the front and the girls at Arthur’s table cheering for her, the other two didn’t stand a chance. The thunderous cheering made Arthur join in, clapping, despite himself. Katelyn frowned as his finger left her mouth, and Kat frowned as usual, but they both joined in the applause. 

“I think we have our winner!” The jester cried. “Congratulations, Yvonne! You’ve won free admission to the Faire and the after-show next year, as well as this golden ticket! You drink free tonight!” 

The crowd cheered her on as the jester encouraged them to applaud the runner-up, Crystal, and third place, Evie. Both of whom received their lesser prizes with grace. “And of course, you can keep your chemise, but feel free to dry off backstage before you head back to your friends!” 

“See?” Rani asked as the crowd resumed its good cheer. The girls filed off the stage. “Cheering each other on is what friends do. So you two can be just friends just fine.” 

Arthur nodded, doing his best to carry on a conversation as Selene throated him and rocked her head back and forth. “Yeah, well, I still think it’s weird she did it. Friends don’t go around stripping for each other. Now that I’ve seen her naked, well, it’ll change things between us.” 

“Will it?” Rani asked, interested. “I guess you’d know, given what happened with you and Beth. Though this time the roles are reversed. Will you picture Yvonne naked every time you see her? Did you enjoy looking at her? Want to see her naked again, alone, or with the rest of us holding her so you can fuck the diva attitude out of her?” 

“Rani,” Arthur said, his tone warning her. “You’re as bad as Selene sometimes, I swear.” 

Selene made a glugging noise on his cock in protest. Arthur didn’t feel that guilty. She might have been better behaved since their talk, but she’d been aggressive before then. 

“I take that as a compliment,” Rani said, grinning. “Look, we’re here to have fun. So just relax, my king. Let us have fun.” 

Arthur grumbled, but he couldn’t protest. Tonight was about letting loose and having fun, not worrying about the drama. He was on protector duty, sure, but tonight wasn’t him playing Master and planning a group session for everyone. Rani was hosting the orgy, assuming it went according to her plans. He didn’t have to do anything but enjoy himself and his women. 

Arthur leaned back, putting his arms around Kat and Katelyn once more. 

“How’s Selene doing?” Rani asked, changing the subject. “Have you finished with her yet?” 

“No,” Arthur said, shaking his head. “But I’ve had a few releases today, so it’s going to take longer than we have.” 

“Let her stay there, then,” Rani said. She waved away any concerns. “Besides, Yvonne’s going to spend time with her new admirers after the show, I’m sure. Nothing soothes the sting of rejection better than getting laid.” 

Arthur exhaled a grumble through his nose. “I’ll need to monitor those guys,” Arthur said. “Just to make sure nothing gets out of hand.” 

“Uh-huh,” Rani said, narrowing her eyes at him. “Not because you’re protective of every woman you meet and are considering Yvonne as yours?” 

“No,” Arthur said. “I’m not protective because she’s mine. I’m protecting her, and I’ll keep her safe tonight. As a friend.” 

Rani sighed. “You’re so gallant. At least admit you want to fuck Evie, right? She was cute and hot as fuck dancing around up there, and she didn’t look away from you the entire time, even when you were making out with Kat.” 

“It’s awkward,” Arthur admitted. “I work with her.” 

“What happens at Ren Faire stays at Ren Faire?” Rani asked. “It’s not like you have to fuck her if she comes to the orgy. Maybe she’ll hang with Brad and Mark or something.” 

Arthur sighed. Torn. Imagining fucking Evie was hot, but it wasn’t as if he was short on desirable women to sleep with. Hot women he cared for far more than he did Evie. She was nice, but he didn’t know her life or care more for her than he cared for any passing acquaintance.

“Can I go ask her and Katie?” Rani asked. 

“Okay,” Arthur said, giving in to thinking with his dick instead of his brain. It was cheating to ask him while Selene was busy choking on him, but he didn’t protest. Evie was hot, and he’d be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about it. Still, she worked in his office. Beth was their boss, and he wasn’t in a relationship with Evie, but it was a gray area that could cause him grief. “Don’t press if she’s not comfortable with it. In fact, let her come to us. If she comes to us, she wants it. If she doesn’t, then she doesn’t.” 

“Oh, she wants it,” Mindy said, nodding. “More than half the office wanted to fuck you before your promotion. Evie was one of them.” 

“Oh, give me the gossip,” Rani said, rubbing Mindy’s shoulders. “Which girls do you think would be down for an office orgy?” 

“No,” Arthur said, cutting Rani off. “We’re not doing that. At least, not until I change jobs.” 

“Oh,” Rani said, surprised. “That’s a great idea. Once you stop working at the office, invite the women who wanted to fuck you to the house. We’ll throw a going-away orgy for you. We’ll have cake and everything.” 

Arthur sighed. “What is it with you and orgies? Isn’t this relationship of seven people enough for you?” 

“It’s enough for a relationship,” Rani said, nodding. “But part of the appeal of our relationship is that we have whatever fun we want. Trying different things with you is safe, which makes it fun. I’d never even suggest this if I were on my own. But with my king and the harem? We’re not constrained by those preconceptions that people have of monogamy and the bullshit.” 

“That’s fair,” Kelly said, nodding her agreement. “Part of the reason we even have the polycule is to experiment and try new things, right?” 

“You want an orgy too?” Arthur asked, surprised. 

“I didn’t say that,” Kelly said. “But I don’t mind doing it once to try it. And if you don’t want to sleep with Evie, that’s okay. Just because someone is coming to the orgy doesn’t mean they have to fuck you.” 

Arthur knew that, but he wondered how accepting Evie would be if she came to the orgy intending to sleep with him, and he rejected her. That might cause even more problems. He sighed. He’d be living in the house by the end of the week. Perhaps it was time to turn in his two-week notice. Beth wouldn’t like it, but the longer he worked for her, the riskier their relationship and any relationship with the women at the office became. 

The women came out of the backstage room, dressed in their costumes once more. Crystal flashed the crowd despite her clothing, getting a whoop and a holler as people chatted her up by the stage door. Devon booked her way through the crowd, reuniting with her friends who welcomed her back with open arms and cheers of congratulations. 

The drinks flowed through the crowd, and Arthur’s table got refills as they waited. Arthur stiffened when the waitress drew near, but she didn’t linger or step around to his side of the table. 

Evie and Katie left the backstage room, and Yvonne exited last. To Arthur’s surprise, Yvonne had changed but hadn’t jumped back into her Cinderella costume. She carried a bag that must have contained the costume. Instead, she wore a fresh chemise, dry and fastened at her waist. Even dry, though, it was translucent, obscuring her powder-blue bra and panties. The Cinderella-themed lingerie surprised him. Meanwhile, her covering was just a thin white cloth that couldn’t hope to preserve her modesty with any level of backlighting. 

The guys in the front row rushed forward, swarming her as she held up her hands to say hello. She smiled, greeting them and teasing them as she flirted, distracting them while Evie and Katie made a beeline for Arthur’s table. Well, Evie shot toward Arthur’s table, holding Katie’s hand to pull her along behind her. 

“Hey, Arthur! Mindy!” Evie said as they approached. “I’m so embarrassed! I didn’t know you were in the crowd until I got up there!” 

She didn’t act embarrassed, but said she was with a huge smile on her face.

“Oh, no need to be embarrassed!” Mindy said. “You were great up there! I wanted to compete too, but Arthur got possessive.” She turned and stuck her tongue out at Arthur, not mad, but playful. 

Arthur shrugged, remaining stiff as Selene continued sucking on him. She started using her tongue more, stroking his cock as it lodged inside her. He’d pay her back for that later. 

“You were hot,” Rani said, offering Evie a high-five, which she accepted. “I’m sorry you didn’t win, but you did great!” 

“Thanks! Yeah, third place isn’t terrible,” Evie said, blushing as she brushed her shoulder-length brunette hair behind her ear. “I hope this doesn’t make things awkward at the office on Wednesday.” 

“Nah,” Rani said. “You’re both consenting adults, enjoying a weekend away from campus. What happens at the Faire stays at the Faire.” 

“Exactly!” Evie said, seizing the opportunity with both hands. “I wouldn’t want my boss to think I’m a whore or something.” 

Mindy giggled. “Oh, I don’t know; he seemed to enjoy your dancing.” 

Evie blushed again, glancing at Arthur as he swallowed. “Oh, yeah?” She asked. “Do you like my costume?” She pulled on her corset to adjust the cups that held her breasts. The action made them jiggle as she shimmied and showed off a strip of her stomach between her corset and her booty shorts. “Or do you prefer the chemise?” 

“Oh, ho, ho!” Rani said, laughing. “Be careful, Mindy. I think this one’s trying to steal our boyfriend.” 

“Oh, no, nothing like that!” Evie said, registering what Rani had said. “I’m just teasing him! Hi, by the way, I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Evie. This is my roommate, Katie.” 

“Hi!” Katie said, peeking out from behind Evie to wave hello. “I love your costumes,” she said to the girls.

“This is Katelyn, Kat, Rani, and, of course, you know Mindy and Arthur. Selene is off somewhere taking care of something, and Yvonne will come back this way soon enough,” Kelly said, introducing everyone. “And I'm Kelly.” 

“Oh, you know Yvonne? Is she part of your polycule, too?” Evie asked. 

“We know her,” Rani said. “But she’s not part of the polycule. She’s just a friend.” She looked at Arthur as she said it.

“Cool, cool,” Evie said, nodding. “Well, uh, I guess we should let you get back to your drinks.” 

“Sure,” Rani said. “But if you want to hang with us, you can. And if you’re interested, we’re hosting an orgy later at a hotel with others from Pendleton. If you’re into that kind of thing.” 

Arthur sighed, putting his head in his hands, not out of annoyance, but out of embarrassment. Knowing that Rani would invite people was one thing. Watching her ask his coworker right in front of him was another. He’d known the office girls were flirtatious and enjoyed teasing him, but hadn’t imagined their interest was genuine. He shouldn’t be interested, but he couldn’t deny Evie was hot. Why not attend the same party and have fun? 

Evie’s eyes flicked to Arthur, then to Mindy, then to Rani. “Did you just invite me to an orgy with my hot A-F boss?” 

Rani shrugged. “Mindy said you were one of the office ladies who wanted to fuck him. Tonight’s your chance. If not, no harm, no foul.” 

“Oh, I mean, I want to, but he’s my boss. Is that weird?” Evie asked Arthur, not Rani. “Is it allowed, or will I get into trouble?”

“It’s a common fantasy,” Mindy said, shrugging. “I enjoy fucking my boss every chance I get; it hasn’t gotten weird yet.” 

Arthur rubbed his forehead. “I’m not your boss, Mindy. Beth is. You just call me Boss as a nickname.”

“He’s not your boss this weekend. Obviously, it’s not a relationship; it’s a one-night stand, and if you’re not comfortable, that’s fine. We’re not pressuring you, but you’re both invited. If you decline, no worries,” Rani said, raising her hands in surrender.

“I, uh, I don’t like guys,” Katie said. “I’m into girls.” 

“That’s fine,” Rani said, shrugging. “I’m pan, Mindy’s bi, Kelly’s bi, Katelyn’s bi-curious, Selene’s… well, she enjoys putting on a show for this one,” she pointed at Arthur with her thumb. “Kat’s the only straight girl in the harem. I wouldn’t even bother barking up that tree. She hates the attention.” 

Kat sighed. 

“The harem?” Evie asked, surprised but unwilling to say anything condemning, given Rani’s ethnicity, costume, and general demeanor. 

“The sisterhood of Excalibur!” Mindy tapped near her tattoo to show it off. “It’s what we call our polycule. We call it a harem sometimes because Arthur’s the only guy.” 

“Lucky guy,” Katie commented, letting her eyes wander over the women there. 

“Don’t I know it,” Arthur said, chuckling and shaking his head. 

“I wouldn’t want to make you uncomfortable, Arthur,” Evie said. “But if you like what you saw, I’d be down to see what you’re packing.” She flirted as she moved onto her tiptoes as if she were trying to peer over the table that separated them. 

Arthur chuckled, shifting so she wouldn’t see his cock was out. Selene made a noise of surprise as he pushed further down her throat. Kat turned the noise into a cough as if she’d been waiting for it. 

“It’s weird,” Arthur admitted after he squeezed his eyes shut and reopened them. “And I wouldn’t want you to be uncomfortable at the office. If you are at all, just ignore my girlfriends. They just want to have fun tonight and need to be told no more often.” 

“Oh, don’t worry,” Evie said. “The office doesn’t even exist until Wednesday. Besides, I’ve been on a few dates with Dinah, and I doubt anyone there even knew we dated or broke up.” 

Arthur raised both eyebrows. “I, uh, didn’t know that.” 

“See?” Evie said, proud of herself. “I can be discreet and professional.” She winked at Mindy. “What about you?” 

“Oh, I can be discreet,” Mindy said, giggling. “But doesn’t telling us about you and Dinah ruin the discretion?”

“Think about the invite,” Rani said, not letting Evie dig herself into a hole. “Let me know.” 

Evie nodded. “We’ll discuss it.” She and Katie exchanged a silent expression. “I’ll be in touch?” 

“Sure,” Rani said, nodding. “We’re staying at a hotel near here, so just talk to me before we leave. Otherwise, text Mindy or Arthur, assuming you have their numbers. Their phones are on the bus, though.” 

“Great,” Evie said, nodding. “It was nice to meet you.” 

“Nice to meet you!” Rani said, smiling.

“Great seeing you again, Boss!” Evie said, waving at Arthur. 

Arthur waved back, smiling and watching Evie and Katie turn away and whisper to each other as they approached the bar. 

“Do you think they’ll join us?” Rani asked, looking at Mindy. 

“Oh yeah,” Mindy said, nodding. “Evie has it bad for him. Tara doesn’t, but she has a boyfriend. Most of them have said they’d be DTF if he ever made a move.” 

“How do you know this?” Arthur asked Mindy. 

Mindy shrugged. “We talk about you when you’re not there—a lot. You’re the only eye candy, and is it that big a surprise to you? You’re a catch! Hot, kind, competent, professional, dominating, and now you’re forbidden fruit because of your promotion? You’re lucky Sara hasn’t snuck under your desk.” 

Arthur blushed, letting the compliments settle for a moment. “Thanks,” he said. “But I’d prefer if the girls at the office didn’t treat me like a piece of meat.” 

“Aw, we don’t treat you like meat,” Mindy said, frowning. “We treat you like an unattainable goal we’d love to pull us into the inventory closet and fuck our brains out!” 

Kelly chuckled. “Hot fantasy, if I’m being honest.”

“So far, I’m the only one who’s gotten to live that fantasy,” Mindy said, posing with pride in her seat.

Arthur shrugged. 

“Office orgy,” Rani repeated. “At least consider it.” 

Katelyn joined Mindy’s laughter. “Don’t listen to them. I, for one, am glad you’re not going around sticking your dick in every woman who flirts with you. You show discretion, and you follow the rules, and that goes a long way in establishing trust,” Katelyn said.

“But if you keep acting as if fucking sexy women is an inconvenience, we can convince every guy here at the bar to fight you,” Rani said, chuckling. 

“Well, it’s weird that you want him to fuck as many women as possible,” Kat said. “He’s ours, and this whole polycule thing is still new. We should focus on our relationship, not search for random hookups.” 

“I agree with Kat,” Arthur said. “But,” he said, cutting in before Rani could protest. “No shaming each other’s kinks. We’ve agreed to try something new tonight. It’s one night. We’re definitely not repeating this soon, and we’ll discuss it afterward once we’ve processed everything. As for temporary partners, well, I enjoy them, sure, but they’re never going to be my focus. You’re my girlfriends. You’re my focus.” 

“Aw,” Mindy said. 

“You’re so sweet it’s disgusting sometimes,” Rani said, shaking her head.

“But never change,” Kelly said. 

“Yeah,” Katelyn agreed. “We appreciate you the way you are.” 

“Though you could do with less stamina,” Rani said. She stared through the table to where Selene was swallowing his cock. “Aren’t you done yet? Her poor jaw.” 

Arthur shook his head. “I don’t think it’s going to work. There’s too much distraction and conversation happening. It’s nice, but it’s nowhere near getting me there, you know?” 

Rani nodded her understanding. “Do you want Selene to stop?” 

“She should,” Kat said. “People are paying more attention to their surroundings now.”

“Yeah,” Kelly said, her tone harsher. “Besides, Yvonne might need our help.” 

Arthur turned to see Yvonne, but she wasn’t where he’d last spotted her. She’d moved along with the crowd of guys who were following her. She stood against the bar, slamming back a beer as the guys around her tried to convince her to leave with them, or one of them. He couldn’t hear them, but he could guess at what they were saying by their gestures. Her stalling wasn’t doing much, and they weren’t letting her get past them either. 

“Selene, stop,” Arthur said, his voice low and quiet. She pulled away from him, letting him escape. Then she dried him with something; he guessed a napkin, since she didn’t have any cloth on her costume. He tucked himself away, lifting his hips and sliding his loincloth back into place. 

He took a deep breath and stood, making his way from the table as Yvonne waved toward him. She’d spotted him rising, and she was calling for help.

~~~

Yvonne led the others into the backstage storage room. She smiled and waved as she disappeared through the doorway, before her face fell and tears pressed at the corners of her eyes. She hadn’t been brave enough to look at Arthur while she was on stage, much less seduce him. All that energy and effort, and she didn’t even know if it worked. 

Would he always see her as no more than a friend? Was she not hot enough? Should she work on her body more? There were features she’d never be able to change. Her ribs were wider because of her singing, and there was no chance of narrowing them to Mindy's, Kelly's, Katelyn's, or Selene’s slim figures.

Selene had left the table, but Yvonne hadn’t seen her departure. Where had she run off to? Had Arthur gone with her? He had to have gone with her. There was no universe in which Arthur allowed Selene to run off into the night on her own. Or she’d changed tables to sit with Dave and Iris. That had been embarrassing. She’d locked eyes with Dave at one point, and the poor man had dropped his eyes, only to have them linger on her body. It was uncomfortable. More uncomfortable than she’d expected it to be, but she didn’t mind the strangers or Arthur. Arthur was the one who was supposed to see her, admire her, and lust for her. 

She felt like a succubus, clawing at his heart, trying to stoke his lust, but unable to see if she’d accomplished her goal. She had to return to their table, talk with them, and ask Arthur what he thought of the show. 

The lady who was helping them handed her a towel, and she used it to dry off after stripping out of the soaked chemise. The girls behind her did the same, each taking a small spot for herself as locker-room mentality permeated the room. 

Evie and Katie, the girls from Pendleton whom she didn’t recognize, were the only ones talking. 

“I’m going to go over and say hi,” Evie said. 

“Isn’t he your boss now?” Katie asked. 

“Yeah,” Evie said. “It’s hot, right?” 

“Sure, if you’re straight,” Katie said. “But you can’t date your boss, Evie.” 

“I’m not trying to date him,” Evie protested. “Not really. I just want to sleep with him. And besides, he’s not my boss until Fall Break ends.” 

“I’m sure that’s not how it works,” Katie said. “What do you see in him? Sure, he’s hot for a guy, but he’s surrounded by women, and two of them are hanging on him like he’s holding them up. They’re not even drinking that much. That guy has to be gay.” 

“He’s not,” Evie said, drying her legs as she propped one on an overturned bucket. “He’s just so uptight at the office, and way too straight an arrow to hit on his coworkers. Mindy had to ask him out.” 

“The freshman?” Katie asked. “The one you said always does the whole schoolgirl routine?” 

“Yeah,” Evie said. “She transferred to work under Beth after Arthur’s promotion, and Tara confirmed it was because she and Arthur were dating. Sara called HR on them. But she’s just pissed off 'cause he’s dating like five women, and none of them are her. She claims she called dibs.” 

“So much drama at that office,” Katie said, shaking her head. 

Evie chuckled. “It’s not that bad. Miss Rian runs a tight ship even if she’s strict, but Arthur watches out for everybody and keeps her off our backs. Tara and Sara are the gossips, and Sara only reported them because she’s jealous as fuck. She’s been throwing herself at the guy for weeks now.”

“And he’s not interested?” Katie asked. 

“Who knows?” Evie shrugged. “He’s too much of a gentleman to acknowledge any innuendo. Arthur friend-zones people hard. Or office-zones them? I could climb into his lap and grind, and he’d think I was pranking him for TikTok. He’s a total himbo.”  

Yvonne listened as they dressed, toweling herself until she was bone dry. Evie was definitely discussing the Arthur she knew, but she didn’t like this Sara woman, whoever she was. She’d have to find out. Or not, if Arthur didn’t want her involved. Still, she could keep anyone from trying to ruin his life the way she almost had. And if anyone had dibs, it was Yvonne, not a jealous bitch from his office.

She sighed and turned to search for her Cinderella dress among the hangers. She found it and frowned. During the festivities, it had fallen onto the floor. She picked it up, but it was wet. Too much water had sloshed through the back room’s floor, which was why everything was on hangers and shelves, except for her dress.

“Shit,” Yvonne whispered as the others left, and she lifted her dress. 

“What’s wrong, dear?” The attendant asked. “Oh!” She spotted the wet dress in Yvonne’s hands. “Oh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t see it!” 

“It’s okay,” Yvonne said. “Heck, this might even help me. Can I have a spare chemise?” 

“They’re not meant to be dresses, dear. It’ll be translucent at best,” the lady warned. 

“That’s fine. There’s a guy I’m trying to seduce, and a dry chemise is better than a soaked and spotted gown,” Yvonne said. 

The lady nodded. “I’ll fetch you a clean and dry one. Do you want two of them? It’ll be thicker if you layer them.” 

“One’s fine,” Yvonne said, shrugging. “They’re not see-through when dry unless you get the right light.” 

The lady presented her with a dry one, and Yvonne shimmied into it, tying it off at her waist with a dry string as she had done the last one. 

“It looks good, if that’s any help,” the lady offered. 

Yvonne chuckled. “Thanks.” She sighed. 

“What’s wrong?” the lady asked. “Besides the obvious, I mean,” she said as she stuffed the wet Cinderella dress into a bag for her. 

“Guy troubles,” Yvonne said. “I like a guy, but he doesn’t want me. He wants to be just friends.” 

“Is he blind?” The lady asked. “I’m straight, but if you asked me out to dinner, I’d say yes.” 

Yvonne laughed. “Thanks.” 

The lady smiled. “You’re welcome, dear. If you point him out to me, I can tell him he’s being an idiot.” 

“No, it’s okay,” Yvonne said. “It’s complicated, and I agreed to be ‘just friends,’ but then I couldn’t help myself. I jumped at the first chance to seduce him. For all the good it did me.” 

“I’m sure you’ll have more chances if this one didn’t work, but if it didn’t, well, he’s gay, blind, or in serious denial.” 

Yvonne laughed again. “Thanks.” 

“Any time,” the lady said as she passed the bag to Yvonne. “Good luck out there.” 

Yvonne nodded her final thanks and stepped through the curtained door to find four men her age rushing the stage to greet her. She recognized them from the front row, having focused on them instead of looking at Arthur. She glanced at Arthur’s table to see him talking with Evie and Katie, and she sighed. Sure, he’d fuck them if they wanted, but not her? She hoped Evie fell flat on her face or that the other girls at the table wouldn’t like her, but Rani’s smile was too wide. 

“Hey! You were amazing, Yvonne. Am I pronouncing that right?” One of the young men asked. 

“No,” Yvonne said. “But it doesn’t matter. What’s your name?” 

“I’m Joe.” 

“I’m Dan.” 

“I’m Miles.” 

“I’m Vince.” 

Four men shoved each other out of the way as they introduced themselves. Yvonne took a step back to put distance between herself and them. Her back was against the stage wall near the bar, and her shoulders hit the wall before she finished her step. The men surrounding her moved closer. 

She winced at starting on the back foot and shifted forward, wielding her smile and reclaiming her poise. The pose kept the men in front of her at bay.

“You were spectacular up there,” Joe said. 

“You’re spectacular, period,” Dan argued. 

“Do you enjoy being nude, like all the time?” Miles asked. 

“Can I buy you a drink?” Vince asked. 

“Dude, she won the contest, so she gets free drinks,” Joe argued. 

“Oh, shit, that’s right. Maybe you should buy me a drink then,” Vince said, gesturing between them. 

“Dream on,” Dan said, shoving Vince. “If anything, she’ll buy me a drink.” 

“If it’s free, she could buy each of us drinks,” Miles said. 

“I don’t think the ticket is good for other people’s drinks,” Yvonne said. She might as well have said nothing. They weren’t listening to her. Miles was staring at her chest, as if he could layer what he’d seen during the contest over the dry chemise she wore now. Joe, Dan, and Vince were arguing over who she would buy a drink for, trapping her where she stood. She glanced between them as Evie and Katie turned away from Arthur’s table. 

Well, that was good then. At least Evie and Katie hadn’t sat at Arthur’s table. Selene still wasn’t there, which bothered her. Where was Selene? She wasn’t with Dave and Iris either, at least not that Yvonne had seen. She was too near the stage wall to spot them. The last time she’d seen them, they were right around the corner from her. If she could slip past Vince, she might at least be able to make it to Dave’s table, even if things would be awkward. 

There was no hope of making it to Arthur’s table. He was across a minefield of people, tables, and chairs, busy with the girls he was holding. They seemed to be discussing something animatedly. She wondered if it had to do with her. It probably didn’t. 

“So, what do you think?” Dan asked, shattering Yvonne’s thoughts and demanding her attention as he put his hand on her shoulder. She turned to see the hair on his knuckles and noticed a few spots of water on his shirt from the show. “Want to join us in the parking lot for a smoke?” 

Alarm bells couldn’t have sounded louder in her head. She had missed whatever conversation brought them to that idea, but she wasn’t going to a second location with any of them. 

“No, thank you,” Yvonne said.

“Do you prefer gummies?” Joe asked. “We have some of those, too, but they’re in the car.”  

“Here, I bought you a drink,” Vince said, handing her a tall glass with something red in it. Yvonne looked at it, unsure of what it was and unwilling to drink it. She hadn’t even seen him get it, but they were right next to the bar. She had no reason to distrust him, but that was no reason to throw caution to the wind. 

“Oh, here, you drink this one. I’ll get my own,” Yvonne said, signaling the bartender by waving her golden ticket as if he didn’t recognize her in her chemise. “Can I get a sampler flight of beers, please?” 

“Oh, you drink beer? I thought for sure you’d be a high-maintenance wine girlie,” Vince said, setting the wine he’d bought on the bar. 

“I drink what I like,” Yvonne said, faking her confidence with the gravitas of a professional actress. “Tonight, I’m a beer-and-pretzels girl.” Her tone commanded the guys’ attention, taking control back as she moved closer to the bar. Dan and Vince took the stools next to her. Joe and Miles stood in front of her. 

“So, that’s a no on the smoke?” Dan asked. 

Yvonne stared at him. “I’m a singer,” she said, expecting him to understand. “I don’t smoke,” she added when his stupid expression didn't change. 

“Oh, right, that makes sense,” Joe said. “Gotta protect your voice.” 

“Does that mean you don’t deep-throat?” Vince asked. 

“Like you have to worry,” Dan said, laughing. “Besides, you can’t just ask that, man! Have some class! Yvonne’s a classy lady!” 

“Can you sing something for us?” Miles asked. “I’m sure they’d let you get up on stage and sing something. We’d love to watch you, right, guys?” 

“I’d rather do other things, personally,” Vince said, chuckling. “You want to ditch these guys and go for a walk? There are some pretty sweet spots around the fairgrounds.” 

“I, uh, have a boyfriend,” Yvonne said, but her hesitation and weak delivery were far from believable, even to herself. Damnit. If she’d had three seconds to think of a character or a story, she could have been much more convincing. 

Joe laughed. “No, you don’t. You’re just scared because Vince is coming on too strong. Knock it off, Vince. She doesn’t want to go anywhere with you or Dan.” 

“Thank you,” Yvonne said, relieved that at least one of them was picking up on her discomfort. 

“You want to go into that back room with me, right?” Joe asked, waggling his eyebrows and laughing it off as if he hadn’t just suggested fucking her in a dirty storage room. 

The bartender put her flight of beers on the bar, and she drank one to give herself time. On stage, she’d been confident, sexy, and commanding. At the bar? Yvonne was just a woman, surrounded by men who didn’t treat her like a lady. They were acting as if she’d already agreed to sleep with one of them and arguing amongst themselves about who got her. They were joking with each other, but their bravado didn’t impress her. 

Yvonne took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. She couldn’t show weakness or fear in the face of their lusty bravado. She had to match them if she wanted them to treat her like an equal, or even better, with respect. 

“I’m gonna need you boys to back up,” she said, gesturing with her hands to push them away from her. As it was, she was leaning away from them. Joe and Miles shuffled back, not moving far, but far enough for her to stand up straight without invading their personal space. “Good boys.” 

The two on her sides laughed it off, trying to make her more comfortable. To their credit, they weren’t assholes, though she wondered how long it would be before they turned into them. They kept their ring around her. She could push through them, but not without making a scene. Not that there was a reason to. It wasn’t as if she had anyone waiting on the other side. 

She glanced at them as she sipped her second beer. The smaller glasses weren’t full pints; they were cups of maybe six ounces. The first had been a cheap, light beer. Her second beer was richer, and she appreciated it far more. 

“Oh, I like this one,” Yvonne said. 

“That’s a red ale,” Vince said. “They’re popular this time of year.” 

Vince was the tallest and the most ‘in shape’ of his buddies. That explained why he carried the most confidence. He had to be around six-foot-two inches if Yvonne had to guess. His high cheekbones weren’t enough to make him handsome, but he had his appeal and perfect teeth. 

Next to Vince, Miles was small and mousy. He had mussed hair and three-day-old fuzz on his face, giving the impression of unwashed dirt rather than hair. His thick, boxy glasses didn’t do him any favors, but his clothes were clean, and his Inigo Montoya costume looked handmade. 

Joe was, well, an average Joe. Everything about him screamed average college guy, from the beige shorts to the AC/DC T-shirt. They were beyond their college years, though, if she had to guess. Seniors, at their youngest. Joe had a cute dimpled face, but she disliked his eyes. They never reached her eyes, and there was something hungry in his gaze. It was as if he were only ever one step away from grabbing her. He never acted on it, but his leer told Yvonne that he wanted to.

Dan was the same height and build as Joe, but wore even baggier clothes. His Robin Hood costume was ill-fitting, but she liked his goatee. 

“What’s wrong?” Joe asked. “You’re nursing that second beer.” 

“Maybe she does have a boyfriend,” Dan said. “And she’s feeling guilty for being such a slut.”

And there went Dan’s chances.  

“Hey!” Yvonne said. “Don’t call me that.” 

“I’ll call you what I want, and you’ll like it,” Dan said, lifting his chin as if challenging her to punch it. 

“What the fuck was that, Dan?” Vince asked. “You’ve been watching too much porn. Reading too many of your sister’s smut books.” 

“What?” Dan asked, surprised. The smugness he’d thrust at her a second ago collapsed in an instant. “Chicks dig a confident guy, right? I'm confident.” 

“You’re an asshole,” Vince said. “There’s a difference, right? Confidence is like that, but without the insults. You can’t call her names; you aren’t close with her. You haven’t got what she and I have together.” 

“Oh, fuck off,” Joe said. “She doesn’t like you either. She’s into me, right, Yvonne?” 

“I’m into people who don’t talk about me like I’m not here,” Yvonne said. 

“Oh!” the others cried out, laughing at Joe’s blunder. 

“She got you, dude,” Vince said. 

Joe shook his head. 

“Look, gentlemen, I appreciate your interest,” Yvonne said. “But you’re crowding me. It’s making me uncomfortable.” 

“Oh, we don’t want to make you uncomfortable,” Vince said. 

“No, I’ll make you nice and comfortable at my place,” Dan said. “It’s not far if you want to ditch these losers and come with me.” 

“Fuck you, asshole. She’s coming with me,” Joe said, shoving Dan, who reached for Yvonne’s hand to stabilize himself. 

Yvonne avoided his grasp by shooting her hand into the air. She waved it, and Arthur waved back, making his way to her from his table. He looked angry. Angrier than she’d ever seen him, including this afternoon. Was that for her, or for the guys? Or this scenario brought back his memories of bullies. She remembered what Selene had told her, casting the bullying he had mentioned in a new light. Yvonne had been so cruel to him, and he was too perfect to hate her for it. 

Now, he was coming to rescue her when she didn’t deserve him after trying to go back on her promise to be his friend. What a great friend she turned out to be. She couldn’t go a single day without trying to get into his pants. Her promises to herself and Caleb vanished at the first opportunity to seduce him. She was no better than Evie or the thirsty women in his office, treating him like a prize or a piece of meat. 

Shame forced her blush to her cheeks and held it there for everyone to see. 

Vince and Dan stood up from their stools and turned to see Arthur coming their way. They squared up, blocking Yvonne off as if defending their prize against a challenger. Joe and Miles didn’t seem to notice, keeping their eyes on Yvonne. 

“That’s my boyfriend!” Yvonne said, pointing. She wasn’t proud of the lie, but she was desperate, and she needed something the guys respected as a barrier to her leaving with them. She had no intention of going anywhere with any of them, but they had no intention of letting her leave with Arthur. 

The guys turned their attention to Arthur, who thankfully hadn’t heard her lie.

“What cuck let a hottie like you dance like that?” Joe asked, surprised. “If you were my girlfriend, we’d never leave the apartment.”   

“Yvonne?” Arthur asked, using a tone sharp enough to cut steel. “Are you ready to go? The girls are waiting.” 

“Why don’t you fuck off, you—” Joe stopped as he turned around to square off against Arthur and realized that his eyes met Arthur’s chest. Arthur was standing closer to Joe than Joe was to Yvonne, and Joe had to tilt his head back to see Arthur’s scowling face. 

Arthur stood with his arms crossed, showing off his biceps in mouth-watering detail with his hands tucked behind them, crossing his torso. The bracers on his wrists and the loincloth covered little, displaying a tremendous detail of muscle that the guys surrounding Yvonne didn’t have. They weren’t out of shape, but they weren’t at Arthur’s or Brad’s level. 

“Go back to the table, Yvonne. Now,” Arthur said, leaving no room for disobedience. 

Yvonne melted, her body stiffening as her nipples hardened under her chemise. The powder-blue bra beneath it was mesh and underwire, doing nothing to hide her reaction. She took the rest of her beer and tried to slip past the men. They were staring at Arthur as if they couldn’t believe he had the gall to steal from them. 

Vince’s hand gripped her upper arm as she passed him, stopping her with a vice-like grip that made her cry out in surprise. 

Arthur’s eyes flared, and Vince cried out in pain a second later. Arthur pried the man’s wrist away from Yvonne with a grip strength that outmatched Vince’s hold on her. His forearm flexed, and his muscles shifted as Vince struggled to keep his arm in place, but Arthur moved it anyway. 

Yvonne left the beer and hurried to the girls’ table, sliding next to Rani, who waved her over. The others watched Kelly move to catch up with Arthur. The bar was loud. Plenty of people between them were still laughing, carrying on, and having a good time. No one else noticed her predicament or the guys facing off against Arthur. 

“Will he be okay?” Yvonne said. “I don’t want him to get kicked out over me.” 

“They won’t kick him out,” Rani said, as if it were impossible. “Besides, if any of them takes a swing at Arthur, Kelly will knock them the fuck out first. I’m more worried about her.” 

“What about Arthur? He looks like he’s going to kill them,” Yvonne said. 

“I know, right? Fuck, he’s hot when he gets jealous. But, unfortunately, he’s a pacifist,” Rani said, shaking her head. “Arthur won’t throw a punch, but I expect he’ll give them a stern lecture.” 

“Are you okay?” Mindy asked, checking on Yvonne. “They didn’t get handsy, did they?” 

“No,” Yvonne said, still processing what Rani had said. “They weren’t assholes. Just very pushy. I flirted with them too much during the show.” 

“I’d like to see them try to push Arthur around,” Katelyn said, chuckling. “That man is solid steel, I swear.” 

She and Mindy giggled at her innuendo. 

Yvonne watched as Arthur released Vince’s arm, and Vince rubbed his wrist as if Arthur had hurt him. They shared angry words, and Arthur pointed to the exit, then to their chairs. Dave joined him, coming up behind Arthur and supporting him, as did Kelly, which both confused and mellowed the men. 

Four against one were decent odds for a brawl, even with the strength difference. Four-on-two was less favorable for them, but still possible. They could delude themselves into thinking their fighting prowess might impress Yvonne—no doubt they’d expect her to sympathize and nurse them back to health. 

Four-on-three, with a woman, wasn’t good. Kelly’s presence made the optics suck, no matter whether they won or lost. Besides, despite being pushy, none of the guys seemed the type to hit a girl. Luckily, they proved her right. They cut their losses, grumbling as they did so, and returned to their seats. 

Dave and Arthur shook hands, and Arthur and Kelly returned to the table, holding hands after a brief conversation at the bar. 

“Are you okay?” Arthur asked, looking at Yvonne. 

She nodded. “Yeah. They weren’t that bad, just over-enthusiastic.” 

“What happened to your Cinderella dress?” Arthur asked. 

“It got ruined. The water ran under the wall backstage to drain, and my dress had fallen off its hook, and—”

“Okay,” Arthur said. Still tense. Then, he relaxed, clasping his hands together and cracking his neck. “Alright. Is everyone ready for the bonfire dance? Let’s go there next, but let’s stick with a buddy system, shall we?”

“What about the kilt contest?” Mindy asked, her voice hopeful. 

“I’m not doing that,” Arthur said, leaving it at that.  

Yvonne swallowed, nodding her agreement. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected from Arthur, but his lack of comment on her performance at the contest was damning. He had to be furious with her, and she deserved it. She wanted to curl up and cry, but she also wanted to grab him by the neck, shake him, and scream in his face. Yvonne turned and jolted in surprise when she spotted Selene sitting where Arthur had been sitting before he got up to help her. She looked as if she’d been there the whole time. Yvonne’s eyes narrowed, wondering where she’d come from and if she’d hopped over the half-wall to steal the seat. 

“Those guys weren’t jerks, huh?” Selene asked. She acted as if she’d heard parts of the conversation. Yvonne hadn’t seen her arrive, so she didn’t know how much she might’ve heard. 

Yvonne shrugged. “Not really, just competitive and oblivious.” She looked at Arthur, but she couldn’t snag his attention. He must have been disgusted at her display. But if he were angry, why wouldn’t he say anything? He could be so annoying sometimes. The least he could do was yell at her and give her a chance to yell back so that they could work through their issues. She sniffed, turning away from him and wringing her hands in her lap.

“Aw, honey, what’s wrong?” Kelly asked, coming over to Yvonne. “Don’t let those assholes bother you. We’ve got you.” She sat next to Yvonne and put her arm around her. 

“It’s not that,” Yvonne said. “But thanks.” 

“Oh,” Kelly said, nodding as if she understood. “Come on.” She squeezed Yvonne. “The golden ticket is good at other bars here, too, right? Let’s get to the bonfire. Arthur, you lead the way. Yvonne and I will take up the rear.” 

Arthur gave Kelly a look, but nodded his agreement. “You heard her, ladies; let’s head out to the bonfire. We can all use less alcohol and more dancing. Drink water on the way.” 

“Whoo!” Selene agreed, jumping to her feet. 

Yvonne almost laughed at her. Of course, Selene would cheer for dancing. Truth be told, Yvonne wanted to dance, too. It’d take her mind off things. She loved dancing, and she couldn’t wait to see Arthur cutting loose on the dance floor or field, in this case. A bonfire with a DJ was always a good time. So long as they could avoid the idiots, and in a group this size? That was doable. 

Arthur led the way, holding Katelyn’s and Kat’s hands as they walked. Rani and Mindy followed behind them, and Selene walked behind Rani and Mindy, just ahead of Kelly and Yvonne. 

“Come on,” Kelly said. “I think it’s time you and I had a talk.” 

Yvonne gulped as she walked with Kelly and wondered just how much trouble she was in.

~~~

Kelly let the others leave the bar first. They weren’t the only ones leaving after the wet chemise contest, but they were the largest group to depart. Their departure left a void that went unfilled as they marched into the lane. No one followed them either. Most were too busy having fun, while others had seen the intense conversation between Arthur and Yvonne’s admirers. 

She let Arthur, Katelyn, Kat, Rani, Mindy, and Selene wander ahead, but kept her eyes on Selene’s braid so she didn’t lose the group. Meanwhile, she hung back with Yvonne, walking beside the woman whose immodest outfit shifted between ghostly white and translucent depending on the light. She looped her arm through Yvonne’s, the way Mindy or Katelyn might have if they were trying to be friendly with her. 

Yvonne didn’t seem to notice or care. She watched Arthur and looked embarrassed at what she’d done. Kelly should have stopped her, but she wasn’t sure it was her place to do so. Now, she’d intervened as the head of the sisterhood. The team’s captain. The harem’s mistress. If Yvonne wanted a romantic relationship with Arthur, then she needed to do more than talk to or seduce Arthur. 

Around them, the after-hours Faire celebrated the night in proper revelry, with drinks flowing and lewd shows taking to the stage. Music rang through the lanes, fading as it washed against the trees across the grounds. The lyrics were R-rated. Many women and a few men on the stage had far more revealing outfits than they had during the day. It was distracting, slowing everyone’s pace as they glanced at the entertainment.  

Still, they needed to talk, but Yvonne wasn’t speaking. 

“So,” Kelly said, getting the ball rolling. “How long?” 

“Hm?” Yvonne asked, looking at Kelly in confusion. 

“How long have you been in love with Arthur?” Kelly asked. 

Yvonne blushed crimson and stammered something that wasn’t words. Kelly smiled. She hadn’t meant to fluster the poor woman that much. She’d confessed it to Rani, so it wasn’t a secret. 

“For me, it was both quick and long. It took years before I could do anything,” Kelly said, explaining her own journey. “I fell in love with Arthur after seeing him in the gym every day, seeing how he treated Lori, and hearing her gush over his love for her.” 

Yvonne furrowed her brow. “Oh, that’s right, you’re Lori’s roommate.” 

“Ex-roommate, yeah,” Kelly said. “Did she mention me?” 

“A few times,” Yvonne said, nodding. “All good things,” she added, and Kelly fixed her scowl. 

“I’m sure,” Kelly said, pursing her lips in amusement. “We roomed together freshman and sophomore years. She moved in with Arthur for our junior year, and I got an apartment with Katelyn. We were good friends before she broke up with Arthur. I would have said she was like a sister to me.” 

“Cool,” Yvonne said. “Yeah. She seemed happy living with him. Their breakup came as a shock, at least to me, but I wasn’t as close to her as you were.” 

Kelly scoffed. The flash of anger that crossed her face made her tighten her grip on Yvonne’s arm. She realized what she was doing and relaxed her fingers. 

“Arthur loved her with his whole heart,” Kelly said. “He didn’t even glance at other women. And not just when she was around. He could have had anyone, but he loved her. And do you know what she did?” 

“Broke his heart?” Yvonne asked. 

“Before that,” Kelly said, cracking her neck by stretching it. “She made his love sound like a burden. Can you believe that? She had him totally devoted to her. He was excited to build a future with her, to raise a family with her, and she saw it as something to escape.” 

Just remembering their conversations about Arthur and the future infuriated Kelly. Her constant worries over the future bliss Arthur promised her made her sound so ungrateful that Kelly had to stop herself from throwing something at her head. 

“She didn’t complain to me,” Yvonne said. “She flaunted it and was kind of a bitch sometimes, to be honest. It was like she knew I wanted what she had, and she couldn’t resist rubbing my face in it from time to time.” 

“Yeah, she could be a bitch when other women showed interest in Arthur,” Kelly said. She released a frustrated sigh. 

Yvonne was quiet. “You sound angry with her.” 

“Lori and I have our issues, yeah,” Kelly said. “But that’s a whole thing. Sorry. I didn’t mean to go off about her. I only brought her up to explain how I fell in love. Was it similar for you? You got closer to him through theater instead of the gym, but you saw how he was with her?” 

Yvonne hesitated, glancing at Kelly. “Isn’t it awkward to discuss other women being in love with your boyfriend?” 

Kelly laughed. “You’d think it would be, and yeah, it was weird at first, but it’s been freeing for everyone.” She pointed to Selene ahead of them. “Selene has loved him since she met him. Kat’s loved him since, well, she’s liked him for a while, but his stopping our date to ride to her rescue during their girls’ night closed the deal.” 

Yvonne raised an eyebrow. Kelly assumed there were plenty of stories she hadn’t heard. 

“Rani loves him, too,” Kelly said. “Though she’s more laid-back with it than the others. My theory is she fell for him after homecoming. She was the first one he opened up to about what happened with Lynn.” 

“Oh,” Yvonne said, and that was all she said. 

“Mindy fell in love with him in the office where they work together,” Kelly said. “They’re in close proximity for hours a day, and, well, it’s Arthur.” 

Yvonne chuckled. “Yeah.” 

“Katelyn is still a work in progress, but she sees what we see in him. He’s a gentle giant with her and takes care of her, giving her what she needs. She’s falling for him. Though she just broke up with her cheating asshole of an ex, so it might take her time to realize how much she loves him.” 

Yvonne nodded, not needing the details but being agreeable. 

“So what about you?” Kelly asked. “How did you fall in love with Arthur, and what do you love about him?” 

Yvonne hesitated. Kelly noticed it wasn’t fear that made her hesitate but contemplation. She was trying to pinpoint the exact moment, and it was clear she recalled the one she was searching for. For Kelly, it had been a process. There were moments she could point to that made sparks fly, but she’d always shut them down for Lori’s sake. Sharing him with the others was the best way to make everyone happy, not just Arthur or herself. 

“I fell in love at first kiss,” Yvonne said. 

“First kiss?” Kelly asked, prompting her to speak more. 

“During rehearsals for Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. It was my freshman year and his sophomore year. Lori and Selene were the stepsisters,” Yvonne explained. “I played Cinderella.”  

Kelly nodded. “Oh, yeah. I remember. I saw that show.” 

Yvonne chuckled. “Well, we were at rehearsals, and Arthur was playing Prince Charming, obviously. We had that number, ‘Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful.’ It had a line that’s stuck with me: ‘Are you the sweet invention of a lover’s dream, or are you really as beautiful as you seem?’ It reminds me of Arthur,” Yvonne sighed wistfully. “He’s too good to be true. He’s handsome, hot, and the perfect gentleman at every opportunity. Yet there was something about him. I’d watch him sometimes when he was sitting by himself. He’d get this dark, brooding expression. There was more to him than he showed everyone. I wanted to know the man behind his public persona.” 

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Kelly said. “Even with Lori telling me about their activities, it was surprising to see the difference between gym-Arthur and bedroom-Arthur. The way he darkens his voice and takes command—” 

Yvonne interrupted her with a groan, her hand covering her face. “Don’t tell me that.” 

“Sorry,” Kelly said, restraining a laugh for Yvonne’s sake. “Is that what you prefer? Someone who takes control?” 

“Yeah,” Yvonne admitted. “Maybe I read too many dark romance novels. Or I spent too much time daydreaming about Arthur’s darker nature taking over and letting him have his way with me.” 

Kelly squeezed Yvonne’s arm, trying to comfort her. 

They’d reached the jousting field, and Yvonne was still struggling through Kelly’s words when they stopped. The staff had converted the jousting field to an outdoor ballroom. A bonfire roared in the middle of the oval arena. They’d missed the lighting ceremony, but the dancing was in full swing within the oval ring. The stage across the field had a DJ table in front of the thrones, blasting music through both visible and hidden speakers. 

People danced, forming a ring around the bonfire, while couples and groups spread out. It was tough to hear any single conversation over the music, but laughter and merriment rang out in clear trills. Kelly recognized a few of the Faire workers dancing among the crowd, and a cart at the edge of the arena sold beer, wine, and drinks. Otherwise, the stands where the crowd watched the tournament had people scattered through them. They took breaks from dancing and watched the flickering shadows of the dancers writhe across the ground. 

Arthur, Katelyn, Kat, Selene, Rani, and Mindy found an open spot toward the arc at one end and started dancing together. The girls guided Arthur into the middle of them, dancing around him. The wild, tribal music, with its heart-thumping drums, turned the scene into a medieval outdoor club, and the dancers were wild. 

Kelly gestured and guided Yvonne to a bench near the fence. They were far enough away from the DJ to hear each other; close enough to speak with no one listening to them. During the day, warm sunlight bathed the space. At night, the stars hovered above them, twinkling as the sky grew darker at the zenith and glowed with the light of civilization along the horizon. 

Kelly didn’t speak, letting Yvonne find her words as they watched Arthur and the girls dancing. 

“Sorry,” Yvonne said, shaking her head. “It might not be awkward for you, but it’s still awkward for me to confess to you how much I want your boyfriend.” 

“Eh,” Kelly shrugged. “You’ll get used to it. The harem has exploded those horizons for us. Rani and Selene are constantly talking about Arthur fucking more women. So, I’m desensitized. Besides, I’ve been where you are. Most of us have been.” 

Yvonne sighed. “Are you saying there’s hope?” 

Kelly shrugged. “I’m saying it’s not impossible, but I don’t think it’ll happen for you tonight, even with the orgy. I’m sorry, Honey.” 

Yvonne grimaced. “I should just accept that he doesn’t find me attractive. You don’t have to rub it in that he’ll sleep with random women, but won’t even look at me when I dance naked on stage.” 

“Oh, that’s not true,” Kelly said. “He watched you dance, and he liked what he saw, but your attractiveness doesn’t matter. Arthur enjoys variety in his women, but he cares more about who we are than how hot we are.”

Yvonne scoffed. “Easy for you to say when you’re drop-dead gorgeous and perfect in every way.” 

Kelly raised both eyebrows and gave Yvonne a questioning look. “Why, thank you. Objectively, though, you’re gorgeous. I envy what you look like without makeup, your ability to command a crowd, and your body is definitely Arthur’s type, and mine, Rani’s, and Selene’s.”

Yvonne blushed, realizing what she’d said and how she’d spoken the quiet part out loud. She hid her face in her hands. “It doesn’t matter. I’ve begged him before. Ever since we first met, I’ve given him every opportunity to make a move on me, even though I knew he was with Lori. It’s probably why she never liked me as much as she did Selene.” 

Kelly nodded. “Oh, she knew both of you were into Arthur, but she was confident Selene wasn’t his type. She saw you as the greater threat.”  

“Irony of ironies,” Yvonne said, chuckling.

“Now, tell me more about this love at first kiss,” Kelly said, putting her arm over Yvonne’s shoulders. “How was your first kiss with Arthur?” 

“Are you sure?” Yvonne asked. “You’re sure you want me to tell you the story of the first time I kissed your boyfriend?” 

Kelly nodded. “Yeah. Think of it as a shared bonding experience.”

“It won’t make you angry or jealous?” Yvonne asked. 

Kelly considered the question, then considered how best to answer. Not that jealousy didn’t exist in the harem. Flares popped up, but they were more like reminders that she could be jealous rather than genuine jealousy. None of the harem would steal Arthur from her. She was secure in her relationship with him. And Yvonne wouldn’t steal Arthur away. If anything, she might join them—one day. 

“If it does, I’ll let you know,” Kelly said. “But I won’t lash out at you.” 

“Okay,” Yvonne said, but she still hesitated as if checking before continuing her story. “Well, during hell week—” 

“Hell week?” Kelly asked, interrupting, but distracting Yvonne from her nerves. Lori and Arthur had mentioned the term to her before, and she was sure she understood its meaning. The point wasn’t to learn but to put Yvonne at ease, and nothing did that more than discussing theater. 

“The week before a show opens,” Yvonne explained. “We call it hell week because it’s full runs of the show in costume with sets, lighting, sound—the whole shebang. It’s forging everything in fire to get it ready for opening night. It’s super intense.” 

“Gotcha,” Kelly said, nodding. She had to laugh at the way Yvonne lit up when discussing theater, the same way Arthur did. 

“So hell week comes, and we have to do everything for real. That included the kissing scenes,” Yvonne said. “Arthur kept saying it was okay, that we didn’t have to kiss during the rehearsals because he didn’t want to make me uncomfortable. Even Lori teased him, telling him to lay one on me because it didn’t matter. It was just acting, at least for him.” 

Kelly chuckled. “He can be oblivious sometimes.” Or he could act that way. She was confident his obliviousness to women’s attraction toward him was a conscious effort on his part. She supposed it was the safer side to err on. It used to frustrate her when he took everything she said in the least flirtatious way possible. At least she didn’t have that problem anymore. She was on the other side of it. Any time he doubted her desire for him, she had plenty of ways to show him. “That must have been frustrating.”    

“Yeah,” Yvonne said, perhaps too strongly. “It was so frustrating, but of course I was trying to be nonchalant even though I wanted to stick my tongue down his throat.” 

Kelly laughed. 

Yvonne blushed, embarrassed, but she pressed onward. “Well, we sing the song, and he cups my face and leans in. We kissed, and even though he didn’t use his tongue, it was everything I imagined it’d be. Gentle, firm, loving, tender—that kiss convinced me he wasn’t acting, and I fell hard for him. I wanted to be with him forever and share a kiss like that every day.”

Kelly smiled softly. She knew that kiss and the other things Arthur could do just as skillfully. 

“You know what hurts?” Yvonne asked. 

Kelly gave her a questioning look. 

“He hasn’t looked at me the way he did during that song since,” Yvonne said. “It hurts to know he was just acting. Maybe that’s why I convinced myself he wasn’t. I love him, but I have to accept that he’s never loved me, and I’ve fucked everything up so much that he’ll never see me as an option.” 

Kelly nodded. “Well, dancing on stage didn’t help your case.” 

Yvonne swallowed and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. “Was he mad?” 

Kelly sighed. “I don’t think he knows how to feel, but yeah. If you were doing it to seduce him? Well, then, he has every right to be mad. He told you no, and you’re trying anyway, without any respect for his no. Do you understand why that might work against you? Especially with Arthur?”  

“Oh,” Yvonne said, looking at Kelly in alarm. “I hadn’t considered that. In hindsight, I shouldn’t have done it, but I just couldn’t stop myself. I needed him to see me as, I don’t know, a sexual creature?” 

Kelly nodded. “He needs time—more time than you’re giving him. You can’t force it or him. Do you understand that?” 

“He’s had years!” Yvonne said, raising her voice. She folded in on herself as Selene glanced at them. The music was too loud for anyone to overhear them, though, and she returned her attention to her dancing. 

“He’s had days,” Kelly corrected her. “From his perspective, he just found out that you had feelings for him and were lashing out from a place of jealousy. And that was during a very dramatic, stressful, and intense time for him. He was facing demons he hadn’t faced in years.”

“Oh,” Yvonne said, nodding as she put the pieces of Arthur’s perspective together. 

“You didn’t help your case by coming on so strong,” Kelly said. “Be gentle with him. Clear, but gentle.” 

“I only did that because he’d been so oblivious,” Yvonne said. “Even the girls at his office call him an oblivious himbo.” 

“He’s not as oblivious as he pretends to be,” Kelly said. She shook her head. “Though your approach wasn’t what he considered flirting. He thought you hated him, then you gave him whiplash, and not the fun kind.” 

Yvonne swallowed, considering that. 

“So, don’t push him,” Kelly said.

“Of course,” Yvonne said, nodding. “And I’d never force him. You have to believe me. Even if I didn’t know his past, I’d never.” 

“Oh, trust me, if I thought you’d try to force him to love you, we wouldn’t be talking,” Kelly said. “You’d be bleeding and on the ground.” 

Yvonne gulped. 

Kelly’s sweet smile returned to her face as she softened. “Don’t worry, I’m trying to help you, not hurt you.” 

Yvonne looked confused, but nodded her appreciation. 

“But so you know,” Kelly said, wanting to make herself clear. “I love that man, and anyone who hurts him has to answer to me. Understood?” 

Yvonne nodded, her head moving in rapid jerks as if she couldn’t apologize fast enough. “I’m sorry for what I did before, too.” 

Kelly held up her hand to stop her. “I know,” she said. “That’s a whole other thing, but from what I can tell, Arthur’s forgiven that. So has everyone else. With everything Arthur told you this afternoon, I trust you understand the full impact of what you did in a way you didn’t before?” 

Yvonne nodded. “I never would’ve—I mean, I—” 

“Yeah,” Kelly said, rubbing Yvonne’s upper back. “Look, for what it’s worth, we’ve each screwed up in the past—Kat, Katelyn, Rani, Mindy, me, and Selene. Even Arthur has made mistakes. None of us are perfect. Each of us has nearly wrecked this relationship at some point.” 

“How are you still together, then?” Yvonne asked, surprised to hear it. 

“We strive to be,” Kelly said. “We love each other enough to forgive mistakes and grow closer as we learn from them together.” 

“That sounds amazing,” Yvonne said. 

“It is.” Kelly watched Arthur dancing, the way he moved with the women dancing around him, harmonizing his body with theirs. She didn’t know how he did it, but the group flowed well together. No one looked out of place or moved in the wrong direction with Arthur leading the dance.

“So you just forgive people when they fuck up?” Yvonne asked. “That’s the secret to relationship bliss?”  

“Healthy amounts of forgiveness,” Kelly said. “Assuming best intentions helps, and working to stay together rather than break up. Personally, I blame Arthur. Maybe it’s because his breakup with Lori was so recent, but he works to address the issues and smooth things out between us. He acts as if we’re already a family, and he’s the family head, working toward everyone’s best interests instead of his own. Breaking up with one or more of us doesn’t even occur to him; he just fixes what’s broken and moves on.” 

“What was your fuck-up?” Yvonne asked. 

Kelly looked at her hand in her lap. “I went too far with Lynn and enjoyed beating and humiliating her too much to be healthy.” 

“Arthur wouldn’t thank you for beating her up?” Yvonne asked, surprised. 

“Arthur has violence-related trauma he refuses to work through,” Kelly said. “Well, that’s not fair. He’s working on it. It’s just that he’s very anti-violence, and I went too far,” Kelly said. “Unethically far. I didn’t like who it made me when I gave into it. Lynn was a special case, though. As much as I might threaten to pummel you if you hurt Arthur or my girls, I wouldn’t let myself enjoy it as much as I enjoyed punching that cunt.” 

Yvonne flinched at the word but didn’t protest. “And Arthur forgave you?” 

“Of course he did,” Kelly said. “More than that, he helped me move past it and not give up. Much like how you helped him today.” 

Yvonne hesitated, unsure how to take that. 

“I appreciate what you did for him today,” Kelly said. “More than I can express. He needed a friend to listen to him, someone who wasn’t trying to fuck him. He’s been getting a lot of that from every direction, between the harem, you, and Maria.” 

Yvonne’s eyebrows rose at the mention of Maria, but she didn’t ask. 

“He needs his friends,” Kelly said. “Just like anyone in a relationship, they need their friends outside of their new romance to keep them grounded.” 

“But…” Yvonne said. “I love him.” 

Kelly nodded. “I know, but Honey, if you love him, give him time. Be his friend, for now, if you can.” 

“And if I can’t?” Yvonne asked. “I thought I could, but it’s so hard, Kelly. Could you do it? Could you go back to being his friend when you want to be so much more?” 

“No,” Kelly answered. She didn’t have to consider the question for long. She wouldn’t be able to do it. “But I did it for far longer than I thought I could. There was always this spark between Arthur and me, but I kept my distance from him on purpose. Still, I saw him in the gym; we traded tips, worked out together, and I was friends with Lori. I was his friend too, for a long time before we started dating. I’m not saying you’ll have to wait a few more years or anything, but he’s seen new sides of you today. Give him time to process them. Give the girls time to get to know you, too, because if you want to be with him, it means being with us, too.” 

“I know that,” Yvonne said quickly. 

“And you’d be okay with that? With sharing him with the rest of us?” Kelly asked. “Not even just with sharing him, but with becoming one of us? Because if you want a relationship with Arthur, you realize that it’s not just Arthur you’d be dating. We have to agree to you being part of the relationship, too. You’d be part of the sisterhood, dating all of us, even if it’s just platonically, like in Kat’s case.” 

Yvonne nodded. “I think the sisterhood you have between you is awesome, honestly. Now that I’ve seen it in action, I can admit I was wrong. You’ve figured something out that works for you, even if others consider it weird. I can appreciate that. That’s theater for me. Not everyone appreciates musicals or opera, but it clicks with me, and I love it. Polyamory might not be for everybody, but screw it. It works for you, right? You’re one big happy family, even when not every moment is happy. Being a part of that, well, that’s a draw toward being with Arthur, at least for me. It’s even more reason to get him to see me as more than a friend.” 

“Are you interested in women?” Kelly asked. “Sexually or romantically, I mean.”  

“I don’t know,” Yvonne admitted. “I… my default was heterosexual. Dating hasn’t worked out great for me. Been on plenty of dates, but never snagged myself a boyfriend, you know? I guess my romantic expectations always skewed toward men, but I wouldn’t mind finding out if I like women; I’ve just never given them the chance.” 

“Do you think you can be our friend, then? Be a friend to the harem, and to Arthur, and see where it goes?” Kelly asked. 

“Will it ever go beyond friendship?” Yvonne asked. 

Kelly shrugged. “I can’t tell the future or make promises for other people, but I know Arthur believes that friendship can lead to more. He wouldn’t be with me, or Selene, or any of us otherwise.” 

“Okay,” Yvonne said, nodding. “I can try, and I promise I’ll try harder than I did tonight. I won’t do anything like that again.” 

“Good,” Kelly said. “Because it was touch-and-go there for a while. If Selene hadn’t slid under that table, Arthur would have flipped it and stormed the stage to stop you.” 

“She, what?” Yvonne asked, her eyes bugging out as Kelly laughed at her reaction.

~~~

Katelyn clung to Arthur’s arm as they walked, wrapping her arms around it in front of her. She sniffed his shoulder, drinking in his scent. Everything about him was so masculine he might’ve stepped out of a book. The leather he wore only added to the pine and spices coating his natural skin. Everyone had a smell, and his made her happy. 

The day had been far more tumultuous than she expected, but everything cooled off with the evening covering them. The Faire had far fewer people after dark, which was nice. She got to walk with Arthur without having to navigate the crowds. Not that she had to do that when Arthur was with her. She could just turn her brain off and follow him, trusting he’d protect her. It was a wonderful feeling. 

“So, the wet chemise contest was interesting,” Katelyn said, striking up a conversation with him and Kat as they walked. Rani and Mindy weren’t far behind them, with Selene behind Rani and Mindy, and Kelly and Yvonne taking up the rear. “Didn’t you think so, Big D?” 

“Yeah,” Arthur said. “It showed more than I was expecting.” 

Katelyn giggled, which jingled the bell dangling from the pink bow on her collar. “It showed everything. You wouldn’t have enjoyed it if we did it, too?” 

“You’re mine,” Arthur said, as if it were a normal thing to declare. “If you want to wear a shift and dance for me, you can, but you’ll do it for me. Not for a group of strangers.” 

Katelyn swallowed, her heartbeat fluttering with the wings on her back as she walked. “Oh, okay.” 

“Sorry, was that too far?” Arthur asked. 

“No,” Katelyn and Kat said simultaneously.

“I like it when you’re possessive, Big D,” Katelyn said. 

“Yeah,” Kat agreed. “I’m your submissive. Not anyone else’s.” 

Arthur nodded. “Good.” 

“Speaking of feeling wanted,” Katelyn hesitated to bring it up, but it bothered her when it happened, and she was still replaying it in her head. It was better to get it off her chest. “Why did you let Selene under the table, but not me? I wanted to suck you off, but you told me no. Then, you told her yes, not two seconds later.” 

“I’m the one who told Selene to do it,” Kat said before Arthur could speak. “Sorry.” 

“I let it happen,” Arthur said. “It wasn’t an intentional slight to you,” he said to Katelyn. “I’m sorry. Part of it was that they wore me down.”

“And the other parts?” Katelyn asked. “Is it because Selene’s better at it than I am?” 

“Is that what you’re worried about?” Arthur asked, surprised. “No, that wasn’t part of my thought process. To be honest, I didn’t think about it that much. A lot was going on, and I guess I gave in rather than fight it. I’m sorry about that. I should have been more sensitive to your desires. Though Selene is more experienced with playing in public spaces, and I figured she’d fit under the table easier.” 

“Being short helps,” Kat said. “I’ve done under-the-table stuff before, too. It’s exhilarating, but yeah, terrifying when you almost get caught.” 

Katelyn blushed. “Well, can I do it sometime soon? It sounds fun. You can coach me on what to do if we get caught.” 

Arthur nodded. “Next time the opportunity arises, I’ll let you do it.” 

“Okay,” Katelyn said. “I’ll hold you to that.” She wasn’t worried, but she was glad she brought it up. The slight dig wasn’t intentional; she knew that, but it was always better to hear it from his lips. Of course, he didn’t deny that Selene was better at blow jobs than she was, but he was being diplomatic. 

Katelyn took pride in her blowjob skills. Admittedly, Arthur plunged to depths she hadn’t experienced before, but she was learning, and she wasn’t the only member of the harem who wasn’t adept at deep-throating him.

She heard the music before they reached the jousting field where the bonfire was waiting. The DJ was blasting an instrumental version of “The Wellerman” with a dance track playing under it. She wondered if it was an original combination or a track the DJ had found online. She tilted her ear toward the field as they walked, as if it could help her splice through the sound better. 

“Are you a good dancer?” Katelyn asked, looking at Arthur. 

“He is,” Kat said, answering for him. 

“I’m okay,” Arthur said. “I’m not a dance major or anything, but I can learn the steps in a few tries.” 

“I meant club dancing,” Katelyn said, pointing toward the music. “Do you go to a lot of clubs?” 

“Uh, just the one that Lori and I used to go to, but it was a BDSM club, not a dance club,” Arthur said. 

“Oh,” Katelyn said, surprised. “So, not a lot of club-dancing experience?” 

“I’ve been to a nightclub before,” Arthur said. “But no, I’m not out at the club every weekend or anything.” 

“Pity,” Katelyn said. “It might be fun to have a night on the town with you and the harem, dancing our cares away. We could go to that honky-tonk bar if you prefer country music or we could try a rave.” 

“A bar sounds fun,” Arthur said. “But no riding the bull this time.” 

“Don’t worry, I learned my lesson. From now on, I’m only riding you,” Katelyn teased, laughing along with Arthur as he shook his head at her. 

“Going to bars and clubs sounds like a headache,” Kat said, rolling her eyes. “What if we spent a night in? We could have a movie night or spend the day in the library, reading our favorite books?” 

Katelyn chuckled. “Boring.” 

“Reading isn’t boring,” Kat argued. “A night in sounds nice after three busy weekends and Halloween in a week. We’ll need a weekend off where we can play board games.” 

“I like board games,” Arthur said, nodding his agreement. 

“Now that’s boring,” Katelyn said, teasing Kat more than Arthur. 

“No, it’s not,” Kat argued. 

“Yes, it is,” Katelyn argued back. “But I know you love it, and that’s okay. You can sit and read. I’ll dance with our master here.” She tapped his muscular chest. 

Kat stuck her tongue out at Katelyn, who returned the gesture, making Arthur chuckle. “We’ll alternate,” Arthur said. “Add it to the agenda for the next harem meeting. Let’s rotate who picks and plans the group dates. A movie night at the house sounds like a lot of fun. What we did last night after everything happened.” 

“Exactly,” Kat said, agreeing with him. 

“But we did that last night. Doesn’t that count?” Katelyn asked. 

“Without the drama,” Kat said. 

Katelyn sighed. 

“Or we could just let you pick,” Kat said, patting Arthur’s arm. “Whatever you want to do for our next group date is what we’ll do.”  

“A five-K run sounds good to me,” Arthur said, holding in a cheeky grin as he winked at Katelyn. 

“I take it back,” Kat said without hesitation. “You never get to pick, ever.” 

Katelyn laughed. “Yeah, sorry, Big D, you lost me there, too. I’d go for a hike, though. That might be fun.” 

“I’d go on a hike,” Kat said. “But by hike I mean a pleasant stroll through the woods, not a mountain-climbing adventure.” 

“Oh, no,” Katelyn agreed. “No rock climbing. I couldn’t do that with my shoulder.” 

“How is your shoulder?” Arthur asked, glancing over at her and examining it himself. “Any pain?” 

“No,” Katelyn assured him. “It’s been good. Achy if I move in certain ways, but nothing hurts unless I try to raise my arm above my head, which I haven’t been doing. I’m sure Kelly will make me put the sling on again tomorrow, but for now it’s great.” 

“Good,” Arthur said. “I’m glad you’re feeling better.” 

“In the movies, when somebody pops their arm out of its socket, they just put it back and go on as if nothing’s wrong,” Kat said. “Are you sure you’re not just being precious so you get more of Arthur’s attention?” 

Katelyn rolled her eyes. “Yeah, well, in the movies, people shrug off injuries through movie magic. In real life, these things take time. Ligaments tear, and the pain is much more debilitating than action heroes make it out to be.”

“But you’re feeling better?” Arthur asked, checking. 

“Yeah,” Katelyn said. “I promise I’ll tell you if it hurts again.”  

Kat chuckled. “I’m glad you’re feeling better, Kitty Kat.” 

Arthur hugged them both, one on either side. They reached the edge of the jousting arena and walked halfway to the opening where they could see the glorious bonfire. Whoever had built it had created a wide fire pit ringed with stones. The sandy dirt didn’t give it any grass or dried leaves to catch on, even as the sparks drifted with the smoke. The wisps of flame became fireflies dancing in a mist before they vanished into nothing. The bonfire itself was taller than Katelyn, with a wide base and a tent of logs burning within the flames. 

People in costumes danced around the fire, holding hands in a wide ring. They let the fiery heat chase away any chill the night might have brought. Others danced in small groups or pairs, each dancing their own dance in beat with the music. 

“Come on!” Katelyn said, pulling Arthur’s arm with her. “Let’s dance!” 

Arthur laughed, following her without protest, even though her pull on his arm could have no effect if he resisted in the slightest. Kat came with them, walking to an empty spot in the jousting arena-turned-nightclub. The DJ started a new track, which Katelyn didn’t recognize. The techno bagpipe song was a strange mix, but everyone danced to it.

Katelyn grabbed Arthur’s hand with her right hand and Kat’s with her left. She danced with the two of them until Rani and Mindy joined them. They entered the dance between Kat and Katelyn, forming a wider bridge as the group danced together. Then Selene arrived and moved behind Arthur. She pushed him into the middle as the girls linked hands around him and danced, kicking their feet to the beat while Arthur danced in the center. 

She looked around but didn’t spot Kelly until she saw her sitting just outside the arena, on the bleachers with Yvonne. The two of them huddled close, with Kelly’s arm around Yvonne to comfort her. Katelyn smiled. She didn’t know Yvonne, but she’d enjoyed watching her on stage during the contest. Plus, Yvonne had helped Arthur and Kat earlier, so she was okay in Katelyn’s book. 

The song changed again, and the dance around Arthur became less uniform. They still surrounded him, but were no longer linking hands. Each girl moved and danced in their own way. Katelyn laughed to see it. She was all hips and legs when it came to dancing, but she blamed her injury for that. She had to keep her arm movements small and below the shoulder. 

Rani spun and moved her hips, raising her arms above her head as if she were belly dancing. Katelyn recognized the dance from the one they’d learned on stage earlier in the day. The effect was that her gold-and-ruby jewelry glinted in the firelight. It jingled with every step and swish of her veils, which flew with her movements in enticing and seductive ways. 

Mindy danced more modernly, with her hands at shoulder height. Her jumping movements provoked peril, as her pendulous breasts threatened to break the corset’s containment with every rise and fall. The two long panels of her skirt slipped and slid between her legs, showing off the outside of her fishnet-clad thighs. It gave her the appearance of dancing bottomless in the shadows. It was hotter than Katelyn had realized at first. 

Kat was the most awkward of them, moving to the beat with jerkier movements and covering herself with her arms as they danced. Katelyn smiled at her to encourage her, and Kat smiled back, enjoying herself despite being self-conscious. 

Katelyn reached for Kat’s hands and took them, pulling them away from her body. She twisted her hips, drawing Kat out of her shell, and they danced back and forth. 

Arthur turned his attention toward Kat’s bouncing body as she spun past him. 

Kat blushed as red as fire but didn’t pull her arms back to cover herself. 

It made Katelyn laugh to realize that after all the insane, depraved, and perverse sex between them, Kat still blushed when Arthur admired her. She loved the girl, but Kat was sillier than she realized sometimes. 

Luckily, they’d chosen a spot far enough from the fire that those dancing around it provided long shadows, even if they moved and changed position. The result was that the many immodest costumes dancing weren’t at risk of flashing strangers or anyone within arm’s length. They could tease Arthur and wind him up as much as they wanted. Kat proved capable of winding him up as her tattered miniskirt rose with her dance steps and bounced against the tops of her juicy thighs. 

Selene, however, was the hottest dancer by far. She moved with a grace that made her fake elf ears believable. Her chainmail bikini appeared even smaller as she removed the scarves from her hips and held them in her hands. She danced with them in a silk-scarf dance that excited Katelyn beyond her expectations. The rhythm of her hips made her waist chain bounce, and the chains around her ankles, wrists, and throat jingled to the beat. 

Damn. Selene was hot, and she knew how to move her body not only to draw attention but to excite and accentuate her best features.

“Wow,” Katelyn said, just loud enough for Selene to hear her over the music. “Selene, you’re amazing.” 

Selene smiled, giving Katelyn a sultry expression as she kept dancing, making love to the music as it flowed over her body in waves. Katelyn struggled to keep moving, losing her focus before she shook it off and returned her attention to Arthur. He, too, had lost himself in the music. The world around them didn’t matter, and it fell away. 

The sisterhood of Excalibur was too busy dancing to fret over weariness or drama. They were outside of it and themselves, out of their heads, letting the music carry them away. This was how it should be. It was like a girls’ night, but without the fear of predatory guys. Partly because the guys at the bonfire danced with their dates, and because Arthur danced with them. She didn’t need to worry when he was nearby.  

She didn’t even notice when Kelly and Yvonne joined the dance, and soon, even more people joined them. The songs kept going, and they kept dancing, laughing together, and having fun. The bonfire’s ongoing nature made it an inevitable destination for after-hours guests, despite its not being central in the fairgrounds. Guests of every kind danced past or admired the dancers from the sidelines. 

The tattoo twins joined the dance after speaking with Rani. Evie and Katie’s group found them and joined the dance near Mindy. Red Sonja and her girlfriend came over, too, with their entire group joining the small crowd. Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen danced nearby, joining them, and the small group had become the largest one orbiting the bonfire. Friends laughing, dancing, and having a good time surrounded Arthur and the harem. 

Katelyn loved to see it. Dave and Iris joined them. People she didn’t recognize started coming to the dance as well, and their dance group became a dance floor unto itself, taking up half the arena. It was fun, but after she lost track of the dances, she needed a break. She moved off to the side, and Kelly followed, prompting a few others to do the same. 

Buckets of ice at the gate held water bottles, and Katelyn plucked one from the ice and cracked it open. She drank it, and life flooded her body through her stomach. She didn’t realize how hot the dancing had been in the arena, but she’d drawn nearer to the bonfire several times without realizing it. 

The flames were still roaring. More and more people were dancing as the shows and games around the Faire wound down. Arthur was still going, still dancing. Katelyn caught his eye from the bleachers, and she waved to him with a smile. He waved back, just checking on them to make sure everything was okay. Mindy and Rani were dancing with him, while Evie and Hallie danced nearby. 

“He loves dancing,” Katelyn remarked after finishing half her bottle. 

“You should see him when he cuts loose,” Yvonne said, having finished one; she nursed her second bottle. She hadn’t danced as many dances as Katelyn had, but she’d had more alcohol to drink and was thirstier for it. 

“Is he not cutting loose now?” Katelyn asked, curious. 

“Oh, he is, in a way,” Yvonne said. “I mean, when he’s in a full dance routine, like a one-on-one dance he knows well.” 

“Well, technically, nobody has asked him to dance yet; we’ve been dancing around him,” Kelly pointed out. “You want to ask him?” 

Yvonne coughed into her water, then turned and coughed into her elbow to cover the noise. “I don’t think he’d like that.” 

“Hm,” Kelly said, thinking about it. “I’m going to then. Keep an eye on Katelyn for me?” 

Yvonne looked at Katelyn as if confused about why she needed a babysitter. She didn’t. Kelly was just overprotective, and there was something to be said for the buddy system, even though everyone was in view of everyone else. 

“Don’t worry, Kels, we’ll stick together and keep your buddy system going,” Katelyn said, blowing Kelly a kiss. 

Yvonne relaxed at that and nodded. “Yeah, we’ll stick together.” 

“Good girls,” Kelly said. She patted Katelyn’s head and strode into the arena. She walked up to Arthur and pulled him from the throng. They danced together, and the others closed the hole that Arthur had left. The girls danced by themselves in the center of the crowd as Kelly and Arthur moved to its edge, focusing on one another. 

“They look so perfect together,” Yvonne whined. “God, how am I supposed to compete with that?” 

Katelyn gave Yvonne a funny look. “You don’t, obviously. You join it.” 

Yvonne gave Katelyn a confused look. 

“The Sisterhood of Excalibur doesn’t compete,” Katelyn said. “That’s the whole point. We cooperate. Selene has a whole speech.” 

Yvonne swallowed more water and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand to keep from dripping. If any water got onto her chemise, the thin material would vanish. It was bad enough when she was backlit by the bonfire. Her entire naked body became a shadow within the white, transparent shroud. 

“Right,” Yvonne said after contemplating Katelyn’s words. “It’s just… such a weird mentality for romance. I mean, it works for you, and it’s good, and I want to think that way, but my brain just keeps going back to its old ways.” 

“Yeah,” Katelyn said. “I get it.” She stood and moved back a bench so she could sit next to Yvonne. “Do you mind if I sit with you?” 

“Oh, no,” Yvonne said, scooting over to make room for her. “Go ahead.” 

Katelyn scooted next to Yvonne, sweeping her skirt under her before she sat and crossed her legs. “I have to remind myself, too,” Katelyn said, nodding. “But it helps that I love multiple people in the harem, and not just Arthur.” 

Yvonne waited for her to continue. 

“Any time I get jealous or want more attention, I look at Kat or Kelly,” Katelyn said. “It grounds me. It helps me remember that I’m not in this relationship alone. There’s someone else whose happiness means just as much to me as my own. Kat means more to me than any guy, and Kelly? She’s more important to me than anyone. Period. I love them, even if it’s platonic between us.” 

“It’s platonic?” Yvonne asked in surprise. “I thought you were bi?” 

Katelyn flipped and flopped her hand, making a so-so gesture. “Maybe I am. Or I’m just attracted to the people who matter to me.” 

“Demisexual,” Yvonne said. 

“Gesundheit,” Katelyn said. 

Yvonne laughed. “No, I mean what you’re describing is demisexuality, or demiromantic, being sexually and-slash-or romantically attracted to people you have an emotional connection with.” 

“Yes!” Katelyn said, pointing at Yvonne. “That. I’m that if I have to label everything. But it’s not like I’ve tested it other than a few experiments with the group.” 

Yvonne gave her a questioning look. 

Katelyn grinned. “The harem’s a safe place to test your boundaries and try new things. Arthur looks out for everyone and makes sure everyone enjoys themselves. He has a whole checklist he goes through with each girlfriend.” 

“A checklist?” Yvonne asked. 

Katelyn nodded. “We went over mine tonight. A whole list of kinks that I want to try, and which ones I don’t want to try.” 

Yvonne chuckled. “God, he’s such a stage manager. He would turn sex into a checklist. I bet he even color-codes it. There’s a spreadsheet, right? The nerd.” 

Katelyn folded her lower lip under her upper teeth to keep from laughing, but she failed. “Yeah,” Katelyn said. “It’s on his phone.” 

“I need to see this,” Yvonne said. “He’s so ridiculous and corny, but it just makes him even more lovable. God, I hate that he’s so freaking lovable. It’d solve so many of my problems if he were an asshole.”

Katelyn chuckled. “I can show you my checklist answers, but I think the others wouldn’t want me showing anyone outside the harem theirs. It’s kinda private, you know?” 

“Oh, no, yeah, don’t worry. You don’t need to show me yours,” Yvonne said. “I just think it’s funny. Not in a silly way, either, just in an amusing way.” 

“I get you,” Katelyn said. “It is funny out of context. Definitely not something I did with my ex, that’s for sure.” 

“Right?” Yvonne asked. “I wonder how he came up with it.” 

“From Lori, I assume. They checked off the list and tried different things,” Katelyn said. 

“That tracks,” Yvonne said, nodding. “She was always boasting about her sex life with him. Made me hate her sometimes.” 

Katelyn chuckled. “I’ve only met her in passing, but don’t get Kelly started on her. She’ll go off.” 

Yvonne chuckled with her, nodding her agreement. “Yeah, we had a brief conversation about her earlier.” She sipped her water, silencing the conversation as Katelyn did the same. 

“Um, excuse me,” a soft, timid voice broke the silence as a young woman approached them. “Hi.” 

Katelyn turned to see a young woman she’d seen around before, in passing. Her green dress was pretty, but not complex. She was small in stature and build, but shapely, with a pretty face that her hair fell over.  

“Hi!” Katelyn said, being as friendly as possible. “I’m Katelyn, and this is Yvonne. What’s your name?” 

“Oh, uh, I’m Gwen,” the young woman said. “I was wondering: the guy in the barbarian outfit, dancing with the pirate lady? Do you know if they’re together? Or is he dating someone else? Or gay?” She twisted the fabric of her skirt as she asked, looking as if she might run away if either of them snapped at her for asking. “I saw you were in his group, and well, I was curious, but—” 

“He’s taken,” Yvonne said, as if chopping off the poor girl’s head. 

“Well, yes, he is, but he’s also available, in a way,” Katelyn said. She tried to soothe the poor girl who looked as if Yvonne had stabbed her in the heart. Still, there was no easy way to explain it. “He’s got six girlfriends.” 

The girl’s eyes went wide. “Six?” 

“He’s dating six of us,” Katelyn said. “Yeah. Yvonne here is just a friend.” She put a hand on Yvonne’s shoulder, but Yvonne acted as if she’d slapped her across the face. Katelyn winced at the faux pas while Yvonne fixed her expression into a sulk. 

“Yeah, I’m just a friend,” Yvonne said. “But he’s taken.” 

“Six?” the girl repeated, as if what they’d said hadn’t made sense. They might as well have said ‘hamburger’ in answer to her question. 

“Like the West End musical, yeah,” Yvonne said. “God, I can’t wait for that to come to Broadway.”

Katelyn wasn’t familiar with the show, but she let it go. “Why?” she asked the other girl. “Are you interested in him?” 

The girl blushed and stammered but didn’t deny it. “Well, no, not if he’s taken. I just wasn’t expecting six.” 

“No one expects the Spanish Inqui-six-tion!” Arthur said, surprising the three of them with his sudden arrival. He held two water bottles in each hand, glistening with sweat in the firelight. He was panting, and his presence made Katelyn react on a primal level. 

The three women froze in surprise and stared at him with wide eyes. 

“What?” Arthur asked. “We’re at the Ren Faire. That was a good pun.” 

Katelyn giggled. “I liked it.” 

“You need better material,” Yvonne deadpanned, hiding her smile as she took another sip of water. 

The girl in the green dress, Gwen, just kept staring at Arthur, frozen like a deer in the headlights. An image Katelyn remembered too well from their girls’ night out. 

“Oh, uh, Arthur, Gwen. Gwen, Arthur,” Katelyn said, gesturing to each. “Gwen was just asking if you were dating anyone.” 

“Oh,” Arthur said, surprised. He smiled at Gwen, putting on his polite face that, according to Kat, far too many women found flirtatious. Katelyn saw what she meant. The cut of his jaw was too sharp, and the smile too genuine. It made his eyes sparkle, and he looked a breath away from laughter. It made her heart race. 

“Yes,” Arthur said. “I’m dating Katelyn here, and Selene, Kat, Mindy, Rani, and Kelly.” He gestured to each, though there were plenty of people on the dance floor. 

Gwen continued staring at him, doing her best impression of a tree trunk. 

“I think you broke her,” Yvonne said, looking between Gwen and Arthur. “Dammit, Arthur, you smell like campfire, leather, and… whatever! Get away from me.” 

Arthur sniffed his arm and tilted his head. 

Katelyn took a whiff. He didn’t stink. His musky aroma made Katelyn want to climb him. Though perhaps Yvonne was fighting the same instinct, and knew she couldn’t get away with it as Katelyn could. 

Katelyn stood and grabbed his arm, hugging it to her as she pressed her nose to his shoulder and sniffed, her nostrils flaring as she drank him in. She moaned. “God, that’s good. You should bottle that and sell it on campus. You’d make a fortune.” 

“My sweat?” Arthur asked, both confused and disgusted. “No.” 

“No, not your sweat,” Katelyn said, wrinkling her nose in disgust before she took another whiff. “Your scent. It’s manly and hella sexy.” 

Arthur chuckled, rolling his eyes as if Katelyn were joking. She wasn’t, but she let him think she was. If she could bottle it, she’d put it on at least a few of her nightshirts. She wondered if the harem had a means of dividing up his clothing. As his girlfriend, it was her right to steal his shirts to sleep in or wear. She didn’t want his clean clothes, though. They had to smell like him, or what was the point? Did the other girls raid his laundry? With six of them, how did they leave him enough to wear? They’d have to discuss logistics. 

“It is… something,” Yvonne said, swallowing as she shook her head. “Fuck it. You look after Katelyn. I’m going to go dance.” She stormed off to the arena, joining Selene. 

“Are you okay?” Arthur asked, looking at Katelyn. “Do you need looking after?” 

“No,” Katelyn said, shaking her head. “Kelly just wants us to stay in a buddy system.” 

Arthur nodded. “Smart.” 

“She’s always looking out for us, just like you,” Katelyn said, squeezing his arm. 

Arthur kissed her forehead, then turned his attention to Gwen. “Anyway, Gwen, it’s nice to meet you.” He offered her his hand for a handshake. 

Gwen didn’t look at his hand. Her eyes stayed where they had been, on his face, frozen. 

“Uh,” Arthur said, looking at Katelyn. “Did I say something wrong?” 

“No?” Katelyn asked, unsure herself. “Gwen? Are you okay?” 

Gwen nodded, but said nothing. The movement broke her spell of stillness, and she turned and fled, gasping for air. She met up with another group at the other end of the arena, who appeared surprised to see her again so soon. 

“Aw, I don’t think she was breathing,” Katelyn said, listening to her run away. “She stopped breathing the second you appeared.” 

“Did I scare her that badly?” Arthur asked, confused. “Should I apologize? I didn’t mean to startle anyone. I just thought it’d be funny.” 

“It was hilarious,” Katelyn assured him. “But you have an admirer, Big D! Gwen just has a crush on you. But from what I can tell, she’s as shy as a bunny rabbit.” 

“Oh,” Arthur said. He looked behind him to where everyone was dancing. “Well, now I feel bad,” Arthur said. “But I don’t think I should go after her. There’s so much going on.” 

“Maybe not,” Katelyn said. “You need a break from dancing?” 

Arthur nodded. 

“Here, sit,” Katelyn said, gesturing to the bench. 

Arthur sat, and she placed herself across his lap, kicking her feet as she put an arm around his waist and rested her head against his shoulder. Arthur chuckled and drank another water bottle. He offered her one, but she declined, pushing it away. 

“This has been fun,” Katelyn said, still wiggling in his lap but settling. 

“Yeah,” Arthur agreed. “Shame it’s almost over. We’ll have to head to the bus soon.” 

“Really?” Katelyn asked, surprised. “Wasn’t there a kilt contest you wanted to do?” 

“Eh, it’s only fair I don’t take part in that since I didn’t let you do the wet chemise contest,” Arthur said. “And we’ve spent a lot of time dancing. The kilt contest came and went. Brad won. Jen said someone in full Sauron armor won the costume contest.” 

Katelyn giggled. “You would have won if you competed. The kilt competition at least.” 

Arthur shrugged. “I guess we’ll never know. But maybe. What about you? Is there anything you want to do before we leave? We’ve spent most of the night at the bonfire. We should head back to the hotel soon.” 

“Oh, I guess we have,” Katelyn said, realizing how many songs they’d danced to during their stay. “It’s easy to lose track when I don’t have my phone.” 

“Right?” Arthur asked, chuckling. 

“Rani’s making the rounds now, confirming invites for the orgy. Kelly’s getting everyone else ready to head out. Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen are okay with what Rani proposed, so the others will stop dancing soon, and we’ll head out,” Arthur explained. 

“Oh,” Katelyn said, nodding. “Okay. But can I ask a favor?” 

“Sure,” Arthur said, drinking another bottle of water. 

“Can I have one last dance, just you and me?” Katelyn asked, trying to be as cute as possible, sticking out her bottom lip and pouting. 

Arthur laughed. “Of course, Pet. Come on.” He stood, lifting her in his arms. “Let’s dance.” 

Katelyn giggled as he carried her into the arena, setting her on her feet as they neared the dwindling bonfire. They danced together, surrounded by their friends, but focused on each other to the music. The rhythm thrummed through her as she moved. She kept close to Arthur, always within his reach. 

He pulled her to him by her hips, and she moved against him with teasing touches, laughing as they danced. She jumped against him, wrapping her legs over his hips and hooking them behind him as he caught her and held her up by her torso. He kissed her as the song ended, and she brushed a strand of his hair from his face as their lips parted.

Katelyn melted against him, closing her eyes and enjoying his embrace. She could spend eternity safe in his arms. Tonight had been wonderful, and it wasn’t over yet, even though their time at the Faire had come to a close.