Cam's Kingdom

Cassia nodded, "Lead the way."

He nodded, "I'll be taking you to the princess's quarters, bow to the king and queen when you get there, but don't speak to them without invitation. He may speak to you beforehand, he's rather overprotective of his youngest. Try not to take offense."

Right, that probably meant we should take offense, but...

"We understand distraught emotions."

The duke nodded firmly, "Follow me then."

He took off at a brisk pace, just short of indecorous haste, but nothing we couldn't keep up with as we headed through more familiar corridors to the royal wing in the back of the palace. Of course, we turned off before we made it to the back door to the garden, into another hallway, which led to the princess's suite of rooms.

I froze in shock as my brain stuttered, when we entered her receiving room and saw the royal couple for the first time, but luckily my shocked brain managed to get my body to bow.

The king was a vigorous man of about fifty-five, with graying hair, but a body that was still very much in shape.

It was the queen that had shocked me though, because she had startlingly dark blue eyes, and midnight hair that fell in very familiar gentle curls. Her body was sumptuously generous underneath her elaborate dress, and the exquisite beauty of her face was hardly faded even into her forties, on her still perfect and creamy light brown complexion.

Shock, because she looked exactly how I imagined my Tammy might look, in about twenty-five years. That's when it hit me like a ton of bricks, and it turned my mind to mush. Tammy, my gorgeously seductive and sweet lover, was princess Tamriel.

Holy shit, I'd seduced a virgin princess, the virgin princess, third in line for the throne. Damn, a princess had gone down on her knees for me and sucked me off. A part of me was horrified, but there was a very shallow part of me that liked the idea. She was a remarkable woman, after all, but most of me was terrified the king would have me killed if he ever found out.

My neck started to close up, and feel really uncomfortable, and I pushed down the desire to look for the axe-man.

Everything took on a new flavor to me, and even made more sense in that new light. I hadn't mistaken her desires, or fantasies, but I'd drawn wildly wrong conclusions, based on all I'd seen and felt.

The princess would want a man to see her, the real her, even more than a servant would, instead of the trappings of power and political connections implicit in such a joining, which explained her greatest sexual fantasy. Then there were all the little things, like her startled looks when I offered my arm, or hand, for who would dare to invite physical contact with the princess?

The knowing mysterious amusement she had at times, like when she said her mother worked in the gardens before her, and that it was a hereditary post. Did the females of the royal house maintain the royal garden, not as servants, but as their passion and a hobby?

How easily and quickly she took my word as truth, because she was a sorceress, who could read the truth in the air itself. Fucking hell, my Tammy was a princess and a sorceress.

Any doubt I had about my conclusions, in those few short seconds, were wiped away when Cassia gave me a worried look, and Faith looked like she was about to start laughing in delight. Wicked fox.

I shook off my shock, as the king peered at us all, and the queen looked at us hopefully.

The king said, "What do you know of this?"

We all exchanged glances, and answered, "Nothing, your majesty."

The king grunted, "Very well, I had to check. We suspected poison, and no one but the royal family, and you three, are allowed in the royal gardens."

Oh, shit. That was messed up, did he think we'd left a contact poison behind last time we updated the wards?

The queen glared at her husband, probably not at his outrageous accusation, but because he was delaying us from getting to the princess.

The king waved an arm, "One of you, go in with my wife, my daughter is not in good spirits."

Cassia nodded, "I'll go."

The queen smiled at my mate, but it didn't reach her eyes, they were too full of worry, and the two of them went inside. I kind of wanted to go in too, to see the truth and be sure, but I was already sure. There was no mistaking it, the queen must've looked just like Tammy... Princess Tamriel, in her youth.

My mind went over all my memories of her, and there were a lot of hints, but nothing truly obvious. Just... mysterious things that I'd chalked up to not getting because she was a woman, and woman were mysterious, but in hindsight...

Cassia and the queen came back out, they hadn't been in there very long at all, and Cassia looked at me nervously before turning to the king. The queen looked like she might faint.

My stomach twisted, what was wrong with Tammy?

The king said, "What is it, did you help?"

Cassia nodded, "I helped. She's going to have to take it easy for a while, no long hours of toiling under the sun in the garden. I'll have to see her every couple of days, so that she won't start throwing up again."

Princess Tamriel, my Tammy swept out of her room, and then froze when she saw me. The look of desperate apology in her eyes was clear to me, for lying to me I assume, or not lying, but hiding the truth. I hoped it wasn't telling for others. I also saw love there, and I hoped that that love too, wasn't obvious to the others.

I winked playfully, given every other eye in the room was on her as well, and then looked her up and down quite deliberately, boldly, and wickedly, as if to tell her I saw who she was, and I didn't care if she was the princess, that she was still my goddess of gardening and my lover. Which was true, it might've made me back off before, I doubt I'd have taken it as a puerile challenge, but it was far too late. I was in love with the bloody princess of Cyrene.

Tammy smiled softly for me, as she turned to Cassia to disguise it, "Thank you, Cassia. I feel better already."

Cassia smiled, "It's a simple bodily imbalance from your condition, and easy enough to remedy."

The king growled, "What do you mean every couple of days? Can't you just heal her?"

Tammy sighed, and she bit her lip as she looked over at the king, "Dad. I'm not sick. I'm pregnant."

Oh... fuck me running. I'd seduced and knocked up, the virgin princess of Cyrene. The throwing up, fainting, was morning sickness. Something that didn't plague my pregnant mates, because Cassia could take care of it with a quick morning spell.

The princess of Cyrene was having my baby. Holy shit, maybe her apologetic glance had been for more than lying.

It was a miracle I didn't pass out, right there and then. Alternatively, I really wanted to hold her and protect her in that moment, to kiss her softly and tell her everything would be okay. Tell her I loved her, and our child would be amazing. But... there was that whole headsman thing to be avoided.

The king roared, "You're what!"

Apparently, that tone of voice in the king was normal, because Tammy didn't even blink. She was... magnificent.

"Pregnant. Cassia, I'll see you in a couple of days, why don't you three leave, I'm about to have a very private and unseemly loud conversation with the king."

I tried to hold back a laugh at her familiar dry humor, but I was only partially successful as I turned it into a cough.

The king glared at me, he probably didn't like being laughed at when his daughter mocked him, while the princess grinned and winked at me behind his back. Gods, I truly loved that woman, and my hands itched to hold her. That's when the queen's eyes got really wide and moved between me and her precious daughter, I wondered what she'd seen on our faces.

To my shock, the queen totally covered for us, instead of throwing me to the wolves.

"Yes, you are all dismissed. Thank you for attending to my daughter, but we must have a private conversation at this time. You too, cousin."

All four of us bowed, and then got the hell out of there.

Chapter Five

"So, sorcerer or demon get, you think?" Cassia teased.

I snorted, "Sorcerer most likely, tell me you didn't know."

That wasn't a sure thing, but I was just half demon, and my son or daughter would be half sorcerer, quarter demon, quarter witch, most likely it would be the sorcerer part to win out.

Cassia blushed, "No, I didn't know, but I should've."

Faith shrugged, "No, I didn't know. She loves you, and she was happy to see you, once she saw you weren't mad. She was also... confident and serene from that moment on, determined, as if she'd made a decision."

Cassia giggled, "It's only been like, fifteen days since you stole her innocence? You must've done it right the first time, just like me and Faith. You must be... potent, my mate, maybe I should offer a spell for Irze and Siora."

"If they want, and I didn't steal it."

Cassia snickered, "So, you want us all knocked up?"

I ignored that, "She's really okay?"

Cassia nodded, "Your princess is fine, just overdid it in the garden, in the hot sun. Her body is starting to shift and change as the baby takes what it needs."

I answered her teasing question, "I suppose I wouldn't mind, but only if they're ready. Irze won't even spend the night though we're in love, and Siora and I are going strong but she's not my mate yet. I'm worried too, I don't like the idea of my kid being raised away from me, and I wonder if this changes anything. At least I understand why she wouldn't come home with us. I'd thought she'd chosen the garden and family position over our love, tradition and ambition, but it was far more complicated than that."

Cassia sighed, "Hopefully the king won't send an assassin."

"Yeah, that too. The queen knows, or thinks she knows."

Faith said, "It will work out."

"How can you be sure?"

Faith shrugged, "Tamriel loves you, and she wasn't afraid for you. I imagine she believes her father will bluster and yell, and then it will pass. Hopefully, she isn't wrong, but surely she's a better judge of him than we are."

I nodded reluctantly.

Cassia grinned, "We have a princess and another sorceress in the coterie."

I sighed, and rolled my eyes, "I actually hope you're right, even if you are teasing me. You're okay with it?"

Cassia grabbed my arm and bumped hips.

"Yes, my love. I have no doubts in you, or us. Not for a while now. Faith and Lysa are my sisters, and you've chosen well in the others as well. I'm sure Tammy is lovely."

Faith said, "I'm sure it'll be all settled by our next visit in two days. No point in belaboring it."

Cassia smirked in obvious disagreement, and I knew then I'd be getting teased about seducing and knocking up a virgin princess for a while. Faith might not join in out of shifter loyalty to an alpha, and it'd be too impolite for Siora to make fun, but Lysa and Irze would have a blast with it as well.

Hell, maybe even Lynn and Jade would get in on it. It was even a little amusing me, but not all that much, the future of one of my loves, and one of my children, was on the line. I felt... impotent, I wanted to protect her, but based on what I just saw she could take care of herself.

She was also an eighteen-year-old sorceress, while she no doubt had a lot left to learn, I was sure she could throw basic destructive elements around easily enough.

Cassia patted my ass, "Stop thinking so hard. Faith will distract you when we get home, you need to be relaxed."

"So that you can wickedly clue in the others to tease me while you make dinner?"

Cassia gave me a look of mock shocked innocence, "Me?" she asked sweetly in faux disbelief.

Oh yeah, I was screwed.

On the other hand, I really enjoyed Faith's distractions...

Irze said, "Sounds like you're royally screwed, or was it screwed royalty?"

Lysa snickered, "Both I think."

I rolled my eyes.

Jade asked, "Is this for real?"

I nodded, "She's Tammy to me though, I didn't know who she really was, and I love her."

Lysa smirked, "I'm sorry. We're being insensitive, that's your future kid, which just stresses why she didn't tell you in the first place. I imagine she was swept away by you, I know I was, and she knew you thought her a lowly servant."

Lynn sighed, "It sounds kind of romantic actually."

Really? I looked around, and all of them looked rather dreamy eyed at that point, instead of teasing, women were so strange.

Thankfully, the conversation moved on after that. My thoughts however, stayed on my princess for a quite a while...

Siora politely shook me awake, it was much later that night, and I was bracketed by my four lovers. Cassia was against my other side, and I felt a bit fuzzy headed. There were no wards going off, so I didn't wake up very fast.

"What's up?" I asked as I looked toward the window, which was still darkened. I felt like I hadn't slept more than an hour or two.

Siora said, "The elven community is under attack."

A surge of wakefulness went through my brain, but I was still confused, "How?"

She replied, "Sorcerers have wards too, if of a different kind."

Of course they do, stupid question.

I growled, "Everyone up!"

Cassia and Lysa didn't look happy being woken up in the middle of the night, at least not until Siora had gone over the explanation again. My Faith took it more in stride, but then she'd gladly attack the gates of hell if I'd had the whim.

We all scrambled out of bed and started to get dressed.

"It'll take us fifteen minutes to get there, and by then it'll all be over, unless..."

Siora nodded, "I can open a portal, I envisioned a need to get there quickly and had one set up."

I grunted, "Try to capture some, I want to know who sent them, or if it's just a bunch of drunk bigots on a tear."

As I strapped on my sword, Siora started that visually aweing spell where all the elements glowed in colors, and slowly turned into a bright pure white as they were combined, only to flash into a new scene beyond our bedroom door.

Smoke started to pour into the bedroom. Right, of course her portal setup was in one of the burning houses, but with a gesture from Siora, a stiff breeze blew it right back through, and the large fire on the other side was snuffed out like a candle in a fierce wind.

Was it wrong I found her incredibly sexy in that moment, my Siora was a bad-ass. I just hoped she was shielded from physical harm this time, or I'd put her over my knee. That whole crossbow bolt thing had been an unnecessary nightmare.

I drew my sword and charged through to the other side with my ladies on my heels. It took me a moment to get my bearings, and I saw three humans fighting an elf. They weren't dressed in armor, and they held crude clubs that they swung as complete amateurs. So... bigots on a tear, from the ugly rumors? There'd be time to figure it out later.

I lunged forward, and I punched him in the back of the head in surprise, with the heavy hilt of my sword. I gripped his club as he collapsed, and I kicked out to my left shoving the second one away from the elf.

The elf freed up from two of his attackers took the third down with a vicious blow to the head.

I sheathed my sword and hefted the club, better to not kill if they were just normal citizens. The nobles would take care of it and put them in jail, hopefully.

Lysa lunged forward at her vampire speed and tore the club right out of the hands of the second guy I kicked away, then judiciously backhanded the bastard, who flew into the wall and got knocked out.

By then, the others were through the portal and trying to get their bearings on the status of the fight.

Siora said, "There are many more in the street, and a few other homes on fire."

I nodded, "Siora, handle the fires. The rest of us knock out the idiots, but don't risk your lives. Kill if you have to."

The elf looked at us in shock, and I patted his shoulder on the way past and moved into the street. There were four more houses on fire, that I could see, nearby. There was also a large crowd of rioters, bigger than I'd expected. It was a damned mess.

Several of them pointed and screamed out curses as they saw Siora come out of the house behind us, and started to rush our way. The four of us surrounded her protectively, and then we were surrounded by the insane crowd.

I started to lay down several of them, with blows of my club, and worried mostly about my Cassia. She could only take down one a second or so, with the quick knockout spell, and she wasn't quite ready to face and defend from multiple attackers, even amateur ones. I fought at her side protectively, while Lysa and Faith laid into their opponents with harsh punches and strikes meant to disable and take down.

There were far too many to be nice, and I heard several bones breaking.

It was intense, even for me, and my heart slammed in my chest as we were surrounded. All it would take is a lucky strike to my head and I'd go down, I was fast, a warrior, but we were heavily outnumbered, and my movements were further constrained by keeping them off Cassia.

On the good side, Cassia took them down with the regularity of a ticking clock.

I blocked a head shot, and twisted away from a strike to my chest, only to take a hit in the side which sent a sharp pain through my body as several ribs cracked. My foot snapped up and out taking one under the chin, even as I heard a skull crack as my club took another in the side of the head.

The fight was ugly, brutal, and fast.

Then an explosive wind blew out in all directions around Siora, and several of them went flying about fifteen feet. When they landed, they didn't get up again.

The rest of the crowd screamed, both witch and sorcerer in a panic, and then took off running.

Siora said, "Sorry, it took me longer to put out the fires than I expected."

I waved a hand, "We're all okay, and it only took about ten seconds."

I looked around, and my ladies looked pained, and I saw a few bruises, but none of them were down. I mumbled a quick healing spell under my breath, and felt several of my ribs reset and flesh being re-knit. I took a deep breath, breathing was good.

Cassia went around and healed the others, while we took stock.

There were at least thirty people lying on the ground around us, and although Siora had managed to put out the fires during the fight, the five houses that endured the fire were damaged and would need major repairs. The crowd had been at least three times that size, and we let them go. We had plenty of people to question under our feet.

There were also many elves, in the surrounding houses, looking out at us and the crowd on the ground. They looked grateful to us, but they also looked pissed off, and I couldn't blame them. These were elves that left their home on purpose, or were banished, none of them wore the polite face that my Siora did.

One of the thugs on the ground moaned, and I reached down and pulled him roughly to his feet as he came to.

I growled, "Why did you attack," putting compulsion into the question.

The man stunk of alcohol, and I laid odds that a lot of them did.

He replied, "Dirty elves are here for our livelihood, and our women! We need to drive them out. They don't belong here in our human city, bad enough you witches and sorcerers live here."

That sounded awfully familiar, could the cabal be behind the viciously dark rumors? Was that their plan? Of course, there'd be no way to prove that, and it was weak even as circumstantial evidence, most bigots thought along those lines. Which... is probably why it was true, the cabal was good at hiding behind the scenes and disguising their ties to the things they did.

"The rumors?"

The man snorted as he nodded in agreement, "Truth, be more like."

I growled, "So you drank up some courage, and decided to burn out the elves and kill them. Did it occur to your tiny brain you could have set the whole city on fire?"