The Trikingdom

Lina strolled through the manor looking for the young artist, Jaco. Her loins were on fire, burning with need, and she thought the handsome young man had just the thing to put it out. The laughter in her head rang out gleefully and she listened to and obeyed it. It was so much easier that way. The Duke didn't want her, and neither did his over-jealous wife. The laughter in her head was her new Master. It gave her the direction she desperately needed. Her life had always been one of a slave, and the laughter filled the role as Master nicely. It was demanding and expected her to obey, and she was happy to.

She smiled to herself as she made her way to the artist's new studio. Over the last few days, she noticed the way Jaco stared after the Duchess longingly. It was the same way she used to stare after the Duke. But the laughter had freed her from that. She no longer pined after him like a love-sick youth. She lived only to serve the laughter and fulfill its wishes. She brazenly burst through the doors of the studio, startling the young man as he sketched at an easel. His questioning eyes were fixed on her as she swayed over to him.

"The Duke sent me to check on the progress of his bust," she lied, seductively.

"I...I'm almost finished with the sketches," he stammered. "Perhaps when I'm finished the Duke would like to see them."

She stopped a few inches from him with a smile on her face and then slowly turned her head to look at the sketch he was working on. "A good likeness," she said truthfully, "but it has taken you several days to get this far. The Duke is becoming impatient."

"Well, this isn't my first sketch," he protested.

"Let me see," said. Before Jaco could stop her, she was shuffling through the sheets underneath the one he was working on.

"Please, let me do that!" he shouted, but it was too late.

"Somehow, I don't think this is the bust the Duke wanted you to work on," Lina chuckled as she pulled out a nude sketch of the Duchess. Jaco's face burned with embarrassment, and his eyes went to the floor. "Did the Duchess pose for this?" Lina asked.

"No," Jaco admitted. "Please, don't tell anyone," he pleaded, "I'll lose my patronage."

Lina swayed back over to him with the offending picture in hand. "At best," she confirmed. "The Duke may have you strung up if he's in the wrong mood," she exaggerated. "I've seen the way you look at the Duchess. You have eyes for no other. It's a wonder that you've managed a single sketch of the Duke, for all the attention you pay towards his wife."

Jaco almost feigned ignorance, but he knew he was caught. He hung his head, his face blazing red in embarrassment. Sensing his vulnerability, Lina softened her voice and rubbed the young man's arm affectionately.

"I have no desire to betray you to the Duke," she said. "I only wished to demonstrate how transparent you were, and to suggest a solution."

"Wha...what did you have in mind?" he asked hesitantly.

"Distract yourself with someone else," she said moving her hand from his arm to his chest.

"Wh...who?" he said nervously. He looked down at her hand and his eyes were wide with what looked like fear.

"Me, of course," she replied.

"You?" he queried hardly believing his ears.

"Of course," she told him. "I know I'm not as attractive as the Duchess, but I am available, and I think you're very handsome."

"I think you're every bit as attractive as the Duchess," Jaco assured her, finally finding his voice as he thought he was trying to reassure a self-conscious woman.

"You think I'm attractive?" she asked innocently.

"I think you're beautiful!" he blurted and then quickly looked back down at the floor. His ears started to turn as red as his face.

"You're just teasing," she said turning away from him and trying to appear shy herself. "A handsome man like you would never be interested in someone like me."

"Of course I'm interested," he said reaching out and gently turning her back around so that he could look her in the face.

"Can I spend the day with you, so we can get to know one another better," she asked in a quiet voice.

"Sure," he replied, "I'm almost finished here anyway. Maybe we could walk around the city," he suggested.

"I'd like that," she said with a smile. "I'll just dispose of this for you," she said taking the drawing and heading toward the fireplace. He started to stop her, but decided it was probably for the best that it was destroyed. He watched it burn with mixed feelings.

"There," Lina said with satisfaction. "Now you can put her behind you." She turned and smiled brightly at him and he tried his best to smile back, wondering exactly what had just transpired.

***

Lina was weary as they trudged back to the manor. It had been a thoroughly boring and tiring day for her. She was exhausted from displaying a false air of interest in Jaco's ramblings, and her face hurt from smiling all day. It had been worth it though; the young man appeared completely smitten with her, and she was sure they would be spending the night together as well. She wasn't sure why it was important to do so, only that the laughter in her head wanted it done.

The day hadn't been a total waste; she had discovered that Jaco was hiding something about his relationship with the Duchess. He wasn't very good at thinking on his feet, and he had stumbled over some lame explanation after Lina asked how he had received his patronage from the Duke and Duchess. He was so obviously lying that she had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing out loud. Her new Master seemed especially pleased with her discovery.

It had made the boredom worth it, and if Jaco was any good in bed it would make up even more for the time spent. He was a very handsome young man, and the bulge she had felt in his pants when she slyly rubbed up against him was considerable. She would have to take control of the evening, or else his shyness might keep them from consummating their new relationship, and she didn't want that to happen. It had been days since she'd been fucked and she was looking forward to getting thoroughly screwed by the young man.

It was nearing dinner time when they reached the manor, and they both were expected to eat with the Duke and Duchess. Lina snaked her arm through his as they entered the manor, and made sure they remained that way as they walked toward the dining hall. Her Master wanted the Duke and Duchess to see the two of them together.

She could feel the eyes of everyone on them as they entered the dining hall. The pleasure she felt from her Master was palpable. The laughter was veritably singing in her head as Jaco helped her into her seat and then sat beside her. Lina had a hard time reading the expression on the Duchess's face, but the Duke was easy to read; he seemed very pleased to see the two of them together. Lina had a hard time understanding what purpose her relationship with Jaco had. Her Master couldn't speak to her directly; she felt impressions from the laughter in her head but no clear words.

No one made any comment about their pairing, but the Duchess continued to give them a questioning glare. Lina finally understood that the Duchess was trying to figure out what the two of them were up to. She obviously didn't believe they were actually a couple and was probably wondering what game they were playing. Since the Duchess seemed to have some way of finding out everything that occurred in the manor, Lina knew she was going to have to be thoroughly convincing in order to deceive her. She was going to have to seduce Jaco that night. She was actually looking forward to it. She had brushed against the young man's groin a few times during the day, and had been pleased with the bulge she felt through his clothing.

Lina followed Jaco back to his studio after the meal was finished. He slept there in one corner of the room. His bed was small, it was barely big enough for two, but she figured that would make it harder for him to resist her. She had made sure to have a few extra glasses of wine with her dinner to give Jaco the impression that she was inebriated. She clung to him and rubbed her body against his seductively as they walked the halls to his room.

His bed was the only furniture in his room suitable to sit on, so as soon as they were through the door she asked him to help her sit. He stood, looking at her with a confused expression on her face as she sat smiling up at him. She realized that he didn't know what to do and she was going to have to prompt him in order to get things moving.

"Sit next to me," she encouraged, patting a spot on the bed next to her.

He smiled and nodded before lowering himself to the bed. She leaned over, rested her head on his shoulder and sighed. "I had a wonderful day today, Jaco," she said.

"So did I," he replied honestly. "I've never found anyone interested in all the things that interest me."

She didn't say anything; a lie at that moment might sound hollow. She placed a hand on his chest and softly rubbed in circles for a moment. She peered up at his face and kissed his chin lightly. With gentle pressure, she pushed him back onto the bed and crawled up his body so he couldn't escape. Her lips found his neck and kissed their way up to his own lips.

"Make love to me Jaco," she sighed into his ear. "No one's ever made love to me before."

"No one?" he asked surprised.

"When I was a slave, men just took what they wanted with no thought to my feelings," she explained. "Now that I'm free, I want to experience sex with someone I love."

"You love me?" he questioned.

"Of course, silly," she said chuckling. "Why else do you think I spent the entire day with you?"

Jaco wasn't about to question such a beautiful woman, and started kissing and caressing her back. Lina was squirming deliciously on top of him and soon his cock was as hard as a rock. It was being squeezed as she pressed her body against his and the head started to poke above the waist of his pants. He never imagined he would be with a woman whose beauty rivaled the Duchesses, and he could hardly believe his fortune that Lina really loved him.

"Oh my!" Lina exclaimed. "Is that...is that all you?" she asked with feigned ignorance as she reached in between them and stroked the obscene bulge in his pants. Jaco was a little embarrassed and unable to respond with words so he just smiled and nodded his head. "Oh gods, Jaco, I need to have you inside me now," she said rolling off him and frantically tearing off her clothes. Jaco sat up and did the same, but he kept his eyes on her as she undressed.

They were both nude at the same time and Lina reclined on her back on the bed. "Please be gentle," Lina begged him as he maneuvered on top of her.

"I'll go slow," he promised.

"Yes," she agreed, "nice, slow, and loving." She gasped as the head of his cock slowly parted the lips of her cunt and eased its way inside. She surprised herself at how wet she was. It had been days since her last fuck and she was looking forward to having a good long one with Jaco.

Jaco groaned in pleasure as his cock was surrounded by the tightest wetness tunnel of flesh he had ever dipped it in. He rested for a moment, reveling in the sensation, before he started moving in and out of her at a slow steady pace. His balls pressed tightly against her bottom each time he entered her fully, and then he pulled back until only the head remained inside her.

His pace was torturously slow, but extremely pleasurable. Lina was on the edge of orgasm for what seemed like hours. She whispered exaltations of love into his ear as he moved slowly on top of her. She wanted him to move faster and start pounding her hard, but she knew it was important for him to go slow. She wasn't sure what they were waiting for, but she knew it was important.

Just when she thought she couldn't take it any longer, the laughter started cackling in her head. Lina knew that they had just been discovered by the Duchess. She could feel the Duchess's presence through her link with the laughter. She felt as if she were suffocating under the immense power that enveloped the room. It stayed with them for a few moments as if observing, and then fled.

Lina let out a sigh of relief as soon as it was gone. The laughter in her head quieted. Lina was sure that Jaco even noticed a change. He was still moving on top of her at the same maddeningly slow pace. Her impending orgasm had ebbed, but was soon building back at full force. All she needed to be pushed over the edge was a little more force from her lover.

She moved her legs up over his hips and used them to pull him in harder. "I love you," she cooed. He responded by bending down for a kiss. "I want to feel you cum inside me," she whispered. Her words had the desired effect and Jaco started thrusting with more vigor. It was enough to send her over the edge and seconds later she was having one of the strongest orgasms of her life. Her head was pounding and she thought she might pass out from the intensity.

Jaco didn't last much longer and was soon jerking madly on top of her while his cock pulsed and discharged its heavy load inside of her. The young man rolled off and lay panting beside her. The bed was cramped so Lina turned on her side and draped half her body over his.

"That was absolutely wonderful," she whispered sincerely. "I don't want to ever get out of this bed."

"Neither do I," Jaco said peacefully. He hugged her close and kissed her as they both started to doze off to sleep.

***

Careena slammed back into her body with a start. It had been a rough outing outside of her body. She was in her bath soaking and had decided to take a quick look at Lina and Jaco. She didn't trust the former slave, and her turn around seemed too sudden.

For the second time that week, she came across a couple making love but this time had been different. It had drawn her in stronger than her experience observing Cilas and Zella. When she realized she was in danger of losing herself, she raced back into her body. Now she was sitting in a tub of cold water with a throbbing clit demanding attention.

She hauled herself out of the tub and threw on a heavy robe. She made her way to their sleeping quarters to find her husband still absent. He had stayed behind after dinner with Cilas to compare the latest tax numbers with the numbers from the previous year. She groaned in frustration and threw herself onto the bed. She needed his attention desperately.

Her hand wandered down her body to the spot between her legs. She wanted to wait for her husband, but when her finger touched her clit it was if an electric shock coursed through her body. She couldn't stop, and after a few moments she was rubbing her clit frantically. Her entire body felt as if it was on fire, and her pussy was sopping wet. She had never been this excited by herself before. It almost felt as if she were possessed again but she knew she wasn't. She had the urge to fuck, but she wasn't drawn unnaturally to a man.

Careena slid two fingers into her cunt with ease. She couldn't believe how wet she was. She started pounding her fingers quickly and squeezed her legs together. She started pinching her nipple with her other hand. The double stimulation was just what she needed. She imagined that her husband was on top of her, thrusting his huge cock in and out of her tight pussy. Her husband morphed into young Jaco, and then she was back on the pirate ship getting gangbanged by all the sailors.

The orgasm that ripped through her was one of the strongest she had ever had. She moaned loudly as her body spasmed uncontrollably. Her whole body felt warm and alive as she started to calm down, gasping for breath as the waves of pleasure subsided. She loved her husband dearly, and he completely satisfied her with his big cock, but she missed the touch of different hands and the excitement of having a new cock enter her body for the first time.

"Couldn't wait for me?" she heard through her foggy delirium.

Her eyes opened with a start and she saw the smiling face of her husband standing at the foot of the bed. "Sorry," she whispered, "I needed release."

"No need to apologize," he said with a chuckle. "I know how you get sometimes."

She immediately felt guilty about the thoughts and images she had during her orgasm. Her husband had been so understanding about all of her past indiscretions that it felt like a new betrayal. "You know I love you, right?" she asked.

"Of course," he said bending down and kissing her on the lips. She returned the kiss with as much energy as she could muster after her intense orgasm.

"Good," she said as their kiss broke. "I hope you also know that I never intend to hurt you."

"What are you talking about," Kalas asked with a quizzical look on his face.

Careena pulled her robe tight and looked up at him nervously. "Sometimes I get these urges and they're hard to control," she explained.

"What kind of urges?" he asked beginning to understand.

"Sometimes I crave something different...someone different," she said haltingly. "You satisfy me completely," she said quickly when she saw the look on his face, "but sometimes..."

Kalas sat heavily on the bed next to her. "I think I know what you mean," he said. "There's a certain excitement that comes when you're with someone else. Some of it is because they're new and unknown, and some because it's illicit."

"Yes," she said quietly. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," he said. "I know you love me, and I love you no matter what happens."

"So you won't be mad if from time to time I give in to my urges?" she asked.

"I won't be mad," he responded. "It's a little exciting for me too. I was angry when you told me what happened to you on that ship, but I was aroused too. Just let me know beforehand, be safe, be discreet, and never deny me when I need you." Since his episode with Lina, Kalas knew all too well how difficult it was to avoid temptation and he knew his beautiful wife loved sex more than the average woman. After she confessed everything she had done on her trip to and from Remar, he knew it would be difficult for her to remain faithful to the promises she had made.

"I promise," she said. "I won't do anything behind your back, and it will always be anonymous or with someone I know can keep their mouth shut." She reached up and hugged him close. "I love you so much," she whispered before kissing him again.

Kalas stood and started to remove his own clothing. "How are the taxes?" Careena asked, remembering why he was late.

"Down," he answered. "I think we may have to lift our moratorium on brothels. We've been putting a lot of money into the city but aren't seeing any return."

"We knew that it would probably come to that," she responded thinking.

"Yes," he said, "but now that it comes to it... There's so much opportunity for abuse in those establishments that I hate allowing more. We have a hard enough time regulating the ones that are open now."

"Why don't we open one," Careena exclaimed suddenly.

"What!?" Kalas asked shocked.

"Hear me out," she said. "The public doesn't have to know we own it. The only one who would know would be the proprietor, someone we would have to trust implicitly, and Cilas. We would make sure the girl's get proper pay and fair treatment. We would make more money running it than we would from taxes."

Kalas looked at her funny. "You're serious?"

"Yes," she replied. "This city was known for its brothels, we aren't going to be able to revive it without them. If we set up our own, and pay the girl's a good wage, the other brothels will have to follow suit or fear losing their prostitutes to us."

Kalas shook his head. "As twisted as your idea sounds, it does make some sense," he muttered. "All right, go ahead and look into it. I will support you in opening a brothel, but I want nothing to do with the day to day operations. I'll leave that up to you," he told her.

"Thank you," she said. "I know the idea of sex for money is hard for you to accept as a Paladin."

"It is," he responded, "but so are a lot of issues that come with being a duke." He was finally nude and his large cock was bobbing up and down in front of him.

"Is that for me?" Careena asked innocently.

"Yes," Kalas replied with a smile.

"Then come here and let me reward you for being such an understanding husband."

Kalas eagerly joined his wife in bed.

***

Two days later, Careena sat with Cilas going over possible locations for the new brothel. Cilas had scouted out the empty buildings in the city, searching for a suitable one, and had come back with a list for the Duchess to consider. The Duchess, of course, couldn't be linked to the purchase of the property, but the assassin was used to coming and going unnoticed.

"I think the one on the hill is the best," Cilas suggested. "It's in the nicer part of the city and needs the least work."

"No," the Duchess disagreed. "It's too close to the manor. Besides, I want to be in the poorer quarter, in a building that needs work. That way we kill two birds with one stone; we open a brothel, and fix up the area at the same time."

"Then how about the one near the wharf," he suggested. "There's no businesses left in the area, except fishmongers. Everything else has dried up and gone."

"I like it," Careena agreed. "We'll keep the fisherman's coins in the area, and draw others in as well."

"Good," Cilas said scribbling in a ledger. "Now that the easy part is over, we need to select a proprietor."

"Yes," she said. "I've been giving it some thought, but I have been unable to come up with someone I trust enough to run the establishment."

"Milady, may I make a suggestion?" Cilas asked.

"Of course you may, Cilas. I would appreciate any insight you have in the matter."

"I think Zella would make a good choice, Milady," he said nodding his head.

"Zella?" she questioned. "I hadn't thought of having a woman run the brothel."

"She's someone we can trust, and her face is virtually unknown in the city. She can pose as a former whore who decided to open her own shop," Cilas explained.

Careena thought about it, and couldn't come up with any reasons why it wouldn't work. "She'll need protection," she said.

"Yes," Cilas agreed nodding, "but I've also been training her. She can take care of herself, but we'll need to hire guards. Most brothel's employ them."

"All right," the Duchess agreed. "I trust you, and I know the relationship the two of you have and that you trust her."

"Thank you, Milady," he said enthusiastically. "It will be good for her. I find that if she's busy playing a roll, she doesn't lapse into her old submissive demeanor."

"You're welcome, Cilas. But I suspect this will be harder on the two of you than you expect. You won't be able to see one another as often as you do now," she reminded him.

Cilas laughed. "Don't worry about that, Duchess. I will have a way to see her as often as I like."

"I have no doubt that you will," she was forced to agree with the small assassin.

***

The front of the newest brothel in Genoise was getting a fresh coat of paint while its proprietor stood outside regarding the building with fascination. Zella knew she wasn't truly the owner of the establishment, but it felt like it belonged to her. She had never owned anything in her life, and she was still a little shocked at what had transpired over the last couple of days.

Cilas had coached her for hours on what to do when she went to the claim office for the deed to the place. Then the Duchess had explained what improvements to have made and how the building should look, which she had to relay to the workmen. The coin for all this had come from the ducal coffers, of course, so everything really belonged to the Duke and Duchess, but they were going to let her make the day to day decisions on how it was run.

She motioned to the two guards that Cilas had insisted she hire, indicating that she was going inside. They were mostly for show. One of them drank so much daily that she wondered if he could see straight and the other was so old that she doubted he could handle his own sword with any authority. She could defend herself, but she knew once the brothel was open and full of girls and patrons she would have to hire adequate protection.

More work was going on inside and as soon as she entered she felt a half dozen pairs of eyes on her. Harlund, the foreman, quickly walked over to her. He was a large man with intelligent eyes. She had found him to be very respectful and knowledgeable about his craft. Cilas had recommended using him as he had done work for the Duke and Duchess on the manor previously.

"Welcome, Madame Zella," he said enthusiastically. "Come to check on our progress?"

"Yes, Mr. Harlund. I was curious to see how things were coming along," she responded smiling. She was looking around the room at all the activity and returning the stares of the workers at the same time. Most of them looked away when her gaze fell upon them giving her a small sense of power.

"Don't mind them, Madame Zella," Harlund said quietly. "They're just a bit curious is all. After you were here the last time, they all wanted me to ask you if you'd be working alongside the other girls, but I told them you were retired and that it was impolite to think of your employer that way."

"It's all right, Mr. Harlund. A little curiosity won't do me any harm," she assured him. "Besides, right now I'm the only woman working here. If I can't find any girls I may end up on my back," she said with a laugh. Harlund laughed along with her, although he couldn't tell if she was joking or not. In reality finding women to work in the brothel was turning out to be the hardest part of the plan. She was unknown, and the girls working in the other establishments had been unwilling to change venues despite the terrible working conditions they had now. She just needed one girl to come work for her and spread the word to the others.

"Madame, I don't wish to question you, but are you sure about the name?" Harlund asked for about the twentieth time. "They're getting ready to pain it on the front now, and this will be your last opportunity to change your mind."

" I'm sure," Zella assured him. "I want patrons to know the class of establishment I'm running."

"Yes, Madame, but she may get angry, and she's not a woman I'd want angry with me. I'm just trying to look out for you is all," he said.

"I thank you for your concern, Mr. Harlund, but if Duchess Careena has a problem with me naming my brothel 'The Duchess' she can march down here and discuss it with me like two proper ladies. She should be flattered that I have such a high opinion of her." The name had actually been Careena's idea. She would pretend that the name bothered her, and press Zella to change it. Zella would refuse and the Duchess would chafe at the name from then on. Word about the new brothel would get out to the public and no one would imagine that the Duke and Duchess had any part in its opening.

"Very good, Madame Zella," Harlund sighed. "Would you like a tour?"

"I would love one," she said.

He showed her the different rooms, and all the progress that had been made. The bones of the structure were good, but a lot of things needed to be replaced. She was disappointed with her room. It was much smaller and would be nowhere near as lavish as the room she had in the manor but it was worth it to gain the responsibility the Duchess was placing on her. Her room was on the main floor, behind the bar and next to the kitchen. The girls' rooms were up on the second floor circling the perimeter of the building so that you could see all the doors from the bar or the gaming tables.

She sighed when she realized she was going to have to hire dealers as well as girls. This was going to be harder than she thought, but it felt good to have a task and be useful. Living in the manor had been good, but she had been itching to get out and see what the world was like. She would miss being with Cilas all the time, but he promised to come see her as often as he could and he assured her, in a few years, it wouldn't be necessary to hide their relationship.

After the tour, she went back to the inn where she had been staying since her supposed "arrival" in Genoise. The innkeeper was an old lecher, and propositioned her every time he saw her, offering to reduce her rent in exchange for favors. It came as no surprise then, when she entered the inn she found the barmaid behind the counter sucking the wrinkled old man off. The young woman appeared to be doing it reluctantly and was certainly not enjoying herself.

They were both surprised to see her, and the barmaid, Esmer, got to her feet extremely embarrassed and ran away. The old man leered at her and asked if she would like to finish him off since she interrupted Esmer. Zella almost slapped the man, but controlled herself and headed toward her room. The people of this city could treat women worse than the slavers of Remar.

There was a knock at her door shortly after she entered her room. She had been going through some papers in advance of meeting Cilas later that afternoon. She knew her two guards wouldn't allow any one near her door they didn't seem as safe, so she had no compunction opening it without finding out who it was first. She was surprised to see Esmer standing there, still red faced and unable to look her in the eye.

"Come in, dear girl, come in," Zella urged, pulling the young woman inside.

"I just wanted to apologize for what you saw earlier, Madame," the young woman said apologetically.

"No need to apologize," Zella assured her, "but I couldn't help but notice that you seemed a bit distressed."

Esmer nodded, finally looking at the other woman. "Mr. Hammond has been after me ever since I started working here. I've managed to fend him off until today. He threatened to fire me if I didn't do that for him. Ever since you arrived he's been real worked up."

Zella listened and sympathized. It distressed her to think her presence had been the impetus for the scene she witnessed.

"If you hadn't shown up, I'm sure he would have had me bent over the bar with my knickers down in a matter of moments. Thank you for your timely arrival, Madame," the young woman said.

"I'm glad I could intervene," Zella responded sincerely. "You need to find different employment."

"I know, Madame Zella, but work is hard to come by these days. It took me weeks to find this job. Who would hire me if I quit?"

"I would," Zella said proudly.

The young woman blushed. "I'm sorry Madame, but I couldn't do what you do."

"I wouldn't ask you to," Zella said. "I will have need of a barmaid and you could help in other ways too."

"I don't know, Madame. What else could I do?"

Zella explained to Esmer the trouble she had been having finding girls to work in the brothel and that if she came to work at the Duchess, she could spread the word about what a fair employer she was. Esmer was known and recognized in the city among the working class. The people would trust her word and perhaps Zella could get inroads into the community.

"I'll even give you an advance so you can quit this job straight away," Zella said offering Esmer a few coins. It was more than the young woman made in a month and her eyes lit up at the sight.

"You have a deal, Madame," the young woman said snatching up the offered coins.

A few moments after Esmer left, she could hear Mr. Hammond outside her door arguing with her guards. The guards were good enough to discourage the angry man from making too much of a scene, but Zella made a note never to be alone with him. She didn't want to hurt the man, no matter how despicable she thought him.

***

Two weeks later, Zella stood in the in the middle of her bar surveying the small crowd that had come the opening night of The Duchess. Esmer had been instrumental, and had quickly been elevated from barmaid to manager of the kitchen. They had only managed to get three girls to fill the ten rooms they had available, but she was confident they would attract more.

Everyone was laughing and having a good time, several card games were going, and all three girls were busy with clients in their rooms. It was a better opening than she imagined a few weeks prior when she had so many questions and few answers.

"There's a woman here to see you, Madame," Esmer whispered, startling Zella at her elbow. "She's older but says she's looking for work. She's in your office."

Zella sighed. They had been visited by many applicants that had been unsuitable for work. An old woman had no place in her brothel except in the kitchens which was already fully staffed. "I'll get rid of her," Zella grumbled.

The woman in her office was old and bent with long, unkempt gray hair cascading down her shoulders. She was toying with a walking stick between her legs as she sat in a chair. She didn't appear to notice that Zella had entered, and Zella assumed the woman was hard of hearing.

"Hello, I'm afraid we're not hiring at the moment," Zella began. The woman looked up with eyes that belied her age. Her eyes were bright and full of life, and contained an intelligence she had seen in only one woman. "Duchess!" Zella hissed as she recognized the other woman.

Careena smiled and stood, leaning heavily on the cane as if she sincerely needed it. "From the sounds I hear on the other side of that door, I assume the opening is a success," the Duchess stated. "I was tempted to take a peek, but couldn't risk being recognized."

"I don't think anyone would recognize you, My Lady," Zella laughed.

"You can thank Cilas for that," the Duchess said. "He helped me with the makeup. How did you recognize me?"

"Your eyes," Zella told her. "If you had kept your head down I probably still wouldn't know who you are."

The Duchess nodded her head knowingly. "Cilas said the same thing. He advised me to not look anyone in the eye. He said they didn't match the rest of my disguise but that there was nothing he could do about it."

"You do a masterful job pulling it off," Zella complimented, "but surely you didn't go through all this trouble just to see how we're doing. You would have found out tomorrow anyway."

The Duchess nodded. "You're right. Lina has been asking uncomfortable questions and I wanted to warn you."

Zella sighed. Lina was the one person, not already in on the secret, who would notice her absence. Their common history as slaves didn't make them friends, but it did make them more aware of each other.

"She's noticed your absence," the Duchess said.

"She could unintentionally spoil everything," Zella grumbled.

"Or intentionally," the Duchess commented. "I don't trust her. She hasn't assimilated as well as you have."

Zella nodded. "She was acting strange before I left too," Zella added. "I thought, perhaps, that she was just trying to figure out her identity."

"She may be," the Duchess said, "but I'm not sure I like what she's becoming. I don't have any proof, but I believe she wants to hurt me. I don't think she's forgiven me for not allowing her to serve my husband."

"I'll keep an eye out for her," Zella assured the Duchess.

"Please do. I don't want her to hurt you to get at me," Careena said with a sad smile.

"Don't worry, I can take care of myself," Zella said.

"So Cilas assured me," the Duchess responded. "Although, if you looked carefully at all the patrons in your bar I'm sure you'd recognize his familiar face hiding in a mug of ale. He's much better at acting than I am."

Zella smiled wide at the thought of her love hiding right under her nose. "I'll try to spot him. It will upset him terribly if I penetrate his disguise."

"I have to go," the Duchess said moving towards the back door. "The Duke is waiting for me on the street. "

"The Duke is here too!" Zella exclaimed.

"Yes, and he refused to dress up," the Duchess frowned. "He's not comfortable with skulking in the shadows. He's just wearing a cloak with the hood pulled down to cover his face. I did manage to convince him to leave his armor and sword behind though."

For some reason, the Duke unarmed and unarmored sent a shiver down Zella's spine. She didn't know the big man well, but she couldn't recall ever seeing him unadorned in his paladin armor. The Duchess seemed unconcerned as she left through the kitchen which gave Zella a little comfort.

The night was crisp and colder than Careena remembered as she stepped outside. Her husband's hulking form was easily recognizable in the dim moonlight as he leaned against a railing overlooking the docks. He was doing his best to blend in, but it was hard with his size. She wordlessly approached and leaned against the rail next to him.

"Ready to go home?" he asked quietly.

The night was cold, but clear and Careena wasn't looking forward to immediately returning to the responsibilities that awaited them at the manor. "Can we walk a while?" she asked. "I want to see what it's like out here at night."

Kalas shrugged and followed her lead. It should be safe enough now that they had increased the guard patrols in the dock district. They headed down the dock towards the beach, passing few people on the way. The new guards' presence was felt, and a normally loud and raucous street was quiet.

In years past there had been high class inns and brothels on the beach south of the docks, but since the only way to reach them had been to travel through the dock district, they had all been abandoned. This was the reason for the increased patrols in the dock district. The inns and brothels along the beach had been a major source of income for the city.

Careena continued to play the part of an elderly woman as Kalas walked solidly beside her. They drew stares from the few people out that late, but it was doubtful any of them would associate the pair with the young duke and duchess.

There was no sign of anyone when they reached the beach; there was no longer any reason for citizens to walk this far south at this time of night. Careena gave her husband a questioning glance and he shrugged his shoulders. She took this to mean it was all right to keep going, so she continued walking out onto the only sandy beach in the Trikingdom.

It was eerily quiet; the only sounds they heard were the waves and the sand crunching under her cane and his heavy boots. Burned out, empty buildings loomed close on one side as if mocking their attempts to resurrect the city, while the vastness of the ocean on the other reminded them of how insignificant two people could be.

"We need to concentrate on this area next," Careena commented as her eyes went from one building to the next.

"Yes, Cilas and I were discussing it this morning," he agreed. "The problem is, the city doesn't have enough revenue to fix up the buildings yet, so without tenants in them it will be difficult."

"And we can't get tenants with the buildings in such disrepair," she added finishing the discussion they had all had time and time again. "Maybe we should have opened the brothel here."

"No, the location you chose is the right one," Kalas responded. "Right now, this is too far off the beaten path."

"So how do we fix it?" she asked.

"Cilas thinks we need to attract someone to repair several of the inns at the same time," he replied.

Careena chuckled. "There are few with that kind of coin, and those that have it are smart enough not to spend it opening inns," she said.

"That's why we would need to give them some incentive," Kalas said.

"What kind of incentive?" Careena asked skeptically.

"Tax breaks, assurance against losses...whatever it would take to get them to build," he replied.

Careena was silent for a moment, and even though he couldn't see her face, Kalas could feel that she was thinking. "The city wouldn't make any money that way," she finally voiced.

"Not at first," he agreed, "but once the area is revitalized and draws more tenants it would."

"Does Cilas have anyone in particular in mind?" she asked.

"Not yet, but he said he'd start looking into it," her husband replied.

They had come to some large rocks on the beach and instead of walking around them Careena went right up to one and felt it with her hand. The tide didn't come up this far, but the rock had been worn smooth by the wind and sand. She took a seat on it and pulled her husband down beside her.

"The guards don't come down this far?" she asked as her hand rested on his thigh.

"No, not yet," he answered not fully understanding why she was asking. "They patrol the docks only for now."

"Then we're all alone," she said as her hand moved from his thigh to his crotch.

"Oh...yes definitely," he agreed finally realizing what she was really asking.

Kalas leaned over and kissed his wife, ignoring the makeup she was wearing. He could still see his beautiful wife underneath it, and she would always attract him no matter what she looked like. "Are we really going to do this here?" he asked as their kiss broke.

"Yes," she said seductively. "There's no one to hear us; no one to see us. Why not?"

Kalas couldn't think of any reason 'why not' and his stiff cock finished making up his mind for him. His hand found its way under her bulky clothing to her breasts while hers fished his cock out of his pants. While they weren't scared of being caught, neither one wanted to waste much time out in the open with foreplay.

"Do you have a dagger?" Careena asked. Kalas produced one from under his cloak and she took it. She backed away from her husband and used the dagger to cut a hole in her undergarments. "This will be easiest," she murmured.

She tossed the dagger to the ground and then straddled her husband's lap. Her hand found his thick cock again and was immediately pointing its wet head at the hole in her clothing. She slowly sank down on his hard meat, feeling it fill and stretch her like only his cock could. "Ooooohhhh!" she groaned loudly feeling confident no one could hear them.

She sat there for a moment, feeling his cock twitch and buck inside her impatient for action as she got used to having the massive tool inside her. Once she felt sufficiently stretched, she began to move up and down in her husband's lap moaning and groaning while begging him to fuck her. Kalas himself was grunting loudly as his hands helped bounce her up and down on his cock. There was something freeing about fucking outdoors that sent an extra thrill through his blood.

Careena felt connected to everything around her: the air, the water, the rock, and her husband. She was going to cum quickly, and she concentrated on the warmth spreading deep within her being. Kalas's hands were holding her so tight she could feel his fingers through her thick clothing. Their bodies were coming so hard together that if it weren't for their clothes the crashing together would have been loud.

Careena kissed her husband hard and closed her eyes as she concentrated on her impending orgasm. She was just about to cum when strong arms clamped onto hers and lifted her off her husband's lap.

"What?!" Kalas exclaimed, but his protestations were cut off by a dagger to his throat. His arms were held by a couple of men, and his wife was being held by a couple too. A dagger was also held to her throat. He thought about throwing the two men off his arms, but he was uncertain he could get free before his throat was cut, and he knew he would be unable to reach Careena before hers was.

"What the fuck do we have here?" a new man bearing a torch asked. "Some deviant fucking his own mother?" he questioned pushing back Kalas's hood. "What's wrong with you, boy?" the man asked Kalas. "Can't find any younger pussy?"

"Maybe he's in love," one of the men holding Careena taunted. "The way they had their faces pressed together made it look like they are lovers, not some boy paying a whore for his first fuck."

"Is that true?" the torch man asked walking toward Careena. "Is this more than some boy trying to rid himself of his virginity?"

He brought the torch right up to face to see what could possibly attract such a young man to an old woman. He peered at her curiously, but was about to give it up as some fetish of the young man's when he saw a few strands of golden hair sticking out from under the gray. He reached a tentative hand out to her hair and grasped it. He was surprised when it came away from her head.

"Well, well, well. Looks like we have something more interesting than a little coin," torch man said.

"Leave her alone!" Kalas raged. He started to get up, but with a man on each arm and another holding a knife to his throat he didn't get far. The knife around Careena's throat tightened in response and Kalas stopped struggling, trying to think of a way out of the mess they were in.

The torch bearer sneered at him and then turned his attention back to Careena. "You're no old woman," he said as he held the torch closer. He tore a piece off the arm of her dress and spit on it. She tried to move her head back as he started to rub at her face with the piece of torn cloth.

"Makeup!" the man exclaimed with a laugh. "Take her to the water and wash her face," he ordered the two holding her. Kalas was tormented with the sight of the two men manhandling his wife towards the ocean, but had little time to think about it. The man with the torch was quickly in his face. "Who are you? Why are you disguised?"

"We were just out for a stroll," Kalas protested unconvincingly.

"Hah! You can't expect me to believe that," the man scoffed. "You two are, or were, up to something. Did you just complete a big score? Where's the loot?"

"I promise you, we have nothing!" Kalas said.

"Maybe your woman will be more forthcoming," the man said as Careena was marched back up to them. "What about it," said turning to her. "What did you two thieves steal?"

"We stole nothing," she replied. "Please, let us go," she begged.

"You look much better without all that makeup on," the man said grabbing her by the chin. "I know you two stole something," he said lowly. "You probably came out here to hide it and then celebrate. You tell us where it is, and we'll let you two go. We're just passing through anyway and have nothing against a couple of fellow thieves."

"We have stolen nothing," Careena reiterated.

"Your dress looks bigger than it should," the man commented. "Perhaps you have it hidden on you. Maybe I should check." He quickly thrust a hand down the front of her clothing feigning to look for a hidden treasure. He did believe them to be thieves, but he doubted they still had whatever they stole still with them. Careena squirmed and grunted in protest while his hand fondled and squeezed her breasts.

Careena had been thinking of a way to escape since the men had grabbed them. The problem was that Kalas couldn't act as long as they were together. If he had been alone, he would have easily taken all six men and been out of this predicament, but he couldn't guarantee her safety. They needed to separate, so that he could take out some of them unhindered, and then rescue her.

Kalas was in a rage. He wasn't sure what to do, but he knew he wanted the man to stop pawing his wife. "All right!" he yelled. "We'll show you."

"Good," the man said letting his hand linger down the front of Careena's dress. "You three take him to get the loot," he said to the men holding Kalas. "We'll take the woman back to our camp."

"I'm not going anywhere without her!" Kalas nearly shouted.

"Now, now," the man said. "Be sensible. We can't all go traipsing off; we'd draw too much attention and I can't trust you not to lead us into a trap. She'll be safe here with us."

Kalas was about to protest when Careena spoke up. "It's all right. I trust I'll be unharmed and then they'll let us go." She looked straight into his eyes as she spoke, hoping he'd get the message. "We'll see all of you in a little while," she said emphasizing the 'you'.

Kalas understood, but didn't like leaving her so his reluctance seemed genuine. The torch man grabbed one of the three men accompanying Kalas as they left and whispered, "Retrieve what they've hidden, and kill him. Make sure the body won't be found for at least a day. Be careful; he looks dangerous but I'm sure he's no match for three of you. You'll get a piece of the woman as soon as you get back." Both Kalas and Careena saw the exchange, neither heard what was said, but both had a pretty good idea. They shared a concerned look as they turned to walk opposite directions.

Careena kept her head down as she walked, barely able to follow the torch holder as he led the way back to their camp. She wasn't surprised when he started heading towards one of the abandoned buildings. She tried to reach for her magic for about the hundredth time since their ordeal had started, but still couldn't manage it; she couldn't relaxed enough to reach the state of being she needed. She felt like a prisoner being marched that final walk to face her death sentence.

The building she was led to was the most intact of any around. It had three walls, and the floor of the second floor at least provided a semblance of a roof. The men were surrounding her as they walked, but she was no longer being held. They entered the building through the hole where the fourth wall used to be. From the layout of what was left of it, Careena judged that it probably had once been an inn and that they were in the great room. The men had built no fire and their six bedrolls were haphazardly spread across the floor. They obviously had set up camp hastily, and had no intention of staying very long. She surmised they were thieves, probably on the run, and had just stopped here for the night.

After her quick look around, she started removing her clothes without a word. "Very sensible," the torch man said with a chuckle.

"Why should I get beat over something you're going to take whether I try to stop you or not?" she retorted. "You have the upper hand and I know what you want from me." Besides, she didn't want to be bound when Kalas returned; she might need to run for safety.

"Like I said, very sensible," said the man. "Toresh, keep a look out upstairs," he said to one of the others. The man, Toresh, was about to complain. "Zaketh will switch places with you once he's finished," the torch man assured him.

Toresh headed upstairs, still a little upset about being made to go third, but the man with the torch seemed to hold sway over all the others. The two remaining men watched intently as she finished removing her dress and underclothes.

"Who would have thought that body was hiding under those clothes," the man leered. He stood staring at her for a few moments and then put out the torch. The sudden loss of light was startling to Careena. Her eyes were slow to adjust but soon she felt a hand on her elbow directing her to one of the sleeping mats followed by the unmistakable sound of a man unbuckling a belt and lowering his pants.

He practically fell onto her, and she could feel that he hadn't removed his shirt and his pants were bunched around his ankles. The wet head of his hard cock was pressed in between their bodies. His face was close to hers and she could feel and smell his warm fetid breath as he breathed hard. Her eyes were beginning to adjust and she could barely make out his leer as she felt him reach in between their bodies and take hold of his prick. She was still a bit wet from her interrupted fuck with Kalas, and the man's cock slid right up inside her with one thrust of his hips so that his balls were resting against her plump bottom.

"Oh gods, that feels good," the man exclaimed. He started thrusting in and out at a rapid pace as if he hadn't fucked a woman in a long time. His cock was sizeable, and Careena had the thought that she would have enjoyed it under different circumstances. Instead, she had her head turned to the side so that she didn't have to look the man in the face and smell his terrible breath.

She started to relax, and although she wasn't enjoying herself, it wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. Her eyes were fully adjusted to the darkness and she could see the other man staring at them with obvious lust so she closed her eyes so she didn't have to see either of them. The man on top of her was in a solid rhythm and she concentrated on that.

Before she realized what was happening, she had entered her magic state. Power flooded through her, begging to be used. Her eyes flew open as everything in the room became clearer. The man on top of her was panting hard as he fucked her with hard deep strokes. The first thought in her head was that she wanted him off of her, and the next thing she knew the man was flying through the air and landed with a loud 'thud' on his back ten feet away.

"Sorceress!" the man managed to gasp in alarm to his companion.

Careena was on her feet, facing Zaketh who had been watching. She was aware of Toresh upstairs heading back down in haste, and the man who had been fucking her trying to straighten out his pants so he could get to his feet. She didn't know what to do. Zaketh charged her and she raised her hands in defense. He paused in fear and Careena took a step toward him menacingly, hoping to keep him from attacking. It worked, but before she could congratulate herself, a blow to her head sent her to the ground unconscious.

"That was lucky," the torch man said breathing hard and looking down at her prostrate form.

"She's a bloody mage!" Zaketh exclaimed. "What are we going to do now?"

"She's a mage," the torch man agreed, "but an untrained one or all three of us would be dead. Toresh, go back upstairs," he said to the man on the stairs. "Zaketh, tie her up. I think I have something in my pack that will help."

Zaketh got out some rope while his companion and leader began rummaging through his belongings. A few moments later Careena's wrists were bound to her ankles and a metal band was tightly around her neck.

The rhythmic pounding of her body against the floor slowly woke her up. Careena could feel a throbbing in her pussy as a hard cock was moving in and out. It took a few moments to fully regain her senses, and she groaned in frustration when her eyes focused on the leering face of her tormenter twisted in pleasure as he fucked her again.

"Glad to see you're awake," the man grunted as he thrust with force inside her. "I was considering letting you go unharmed after we had finished with you," he continued, "until your little escape attempt. Now we're going to kill you like your friend. He won't be returning for you by the way."

Careena tried to swing an arm at the man assailing her, but found it connected to her ankle. She couldn't move her hands or legs into any position that would help throw him off. She reached for her magic again and it flared to life, but then a sharp blinding pain seared around her neck breaking her concentration and shattering her connection. She realized that something cold was around her neck. She reached out again for her magic with the same result. 'A witch's collar!' she thought. 'Where did they get one of those?!'

Witch's collars were very rare and very valuable. No one knew their origin, but the Bloody Queen had gathered most of them during her terrible reign and used them to subjugate and humiliate any mages who had opposed her. They were believed to have been destroyed when she was defeated. The metal they were made from absorbed the energy the mage used for casting a spell and returned it painfully back to the mage, breaking their concentration. What was worse, you needed an uncollared mage to remove one.

"I see you know what is around your neck," the man continued as he rammed his hard cock in and out. "I find it handy in dealing with mages like you, so I'll want it back when we're done. Since I'm no mage myself, I'll have to remove your head to retrieve it." He paused with the full length of his dick buried inside her and gave her a genuinely sad look. "It's a pity too. You really are a lovely woman, and I hate to destroy such beauty, but you left me no choice."

Careena seethed inside and let her anger show on her face, but she didn't respond verbally. The man grinned wickedly and started fucking her again. She knew she should be begging for her life, but she was too angry to do it. Kalas would kill the three men when he returned, and then she would have the last laugh.

Her rapist started grunting loudly and his movements sped up. His cock swelled inside her, and then pulsing jets of cum were flooding her womb. He jerked on top of her several times and then was still as his cock pulsed weakly a few more times before going limp and slipping out of her. He hauled himself up from between her legs and turned to Zaketh. "She's a great fuck. She's got a nice, tight cunt," he commented to the other man as he pulled up his pants.

Zaketh walked over eagerly and started undoing his pants. Like his leader, he didn't get fully undressed and just pushed his pants down to his ankles before falling to his knees in front of her. She vainly closed her knees in protest, but he easily pushed them apart with his body as he knee-walked into position before falling on top of her. He had his cock in one hand as he took aim. Her pussy was slick with cum and his hard dick easily slid inside her.

He smelled as bad as the first one. These men had obviously been on the road a long time and were in need of bathing. Careena tried to ignore the smell as Zaketh rammed her vigorously. Again, she was struck with the thought of how pleasurable this would be under different circumstances. She was, of course, not averse to fucking strange men, but it had to be on her terms. These men had crossed, what was for her, a very fine line between coerced consensual sex, and rape. She didn't mind having sex with men she wasn't interested in, as long as they had something to offer her as well. These men offered nothing, only took from her.

Zaketh grunted in ecstasy atop her bound form. It had been a long time since he had sunk his male tube of flesh into a woman, and that had been a pockmarked street whore. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been with a woman as clean and fresh as Careena. He reached over with one hand and pinched first one nipple and then the other. She gasped in shock under him, the first sound she had made since she woke up.

Her nipples grew hard and stuck out prominently from her large breasts. She hated that her body was responding to this rape, but it was getting aroused on its own volition. Zaketh's cock was going in hard and deep and at the moment it was hitting all the right places. Even though she was lying there passively, she was starting to feel that familiar warmth spreading from deep inside her cunt. Her hips bucked up to meet his and she held her breath in fear that she would cry out in pleasure. There was no mistaking her orgasm for anything else as her body shuddered and her pussy gripped Zaketh's invading cock more tightly.

"The slut just came on my cock," Zaketh groaned as his own orgasm overtook him. His cock felt like it was exploding as he came inside her tightly gripping pussy. His body jerked along with hers as their groins mashed together. When her orgasm subsided, she allowed her body to sink back to the floor causing his cock to slip out of her. His last few spurts of cum landed on her lower belly.

Zaketh rocked back onto his knees and then slowly got to his feet. He looked down at her with a sated look on his face and then pulled up his pants and was up the stairs to switch places with Toresh. Careena couldn't understand what they were saying, but she could hear Zaketh talking excitedly to Toresh and she imagined he was singing her sexual praises. That thought was confirmed when Toresh came so excitedly down the stairs that he very nearly stumbled.

His hands were tearing at his pants frantically as he approached and once he had them undone he pushed them down and kicked them completely off. He was between her legs in a flash, and his hard cock was poking between her thighs searching for the opening.

Careena thought he was the youngest of the three, and probably the youngest of the entire gang. He still smelled as terrible as the others and she would feel little remorse when he was dead. His cock finally found the hole, but it was at an awkward angle that made her gasp with a little pain. He had it right after a few strokes and was quickly thrusting in and out of her like only a young man can.

She suspected he didn't have much experience, and was grateful when a few moments after he had begun raping her, he was shuddering in climax. It was one of the fastest fucks she had ever been subjected too, and she was glad it was over. As Toresh sheepishly got back to his feet, she thought her ordeal would be over. These three had finished and she assumed they would wait for their compatriots to return, but would die at Kalas's hands instead. She was alarmed when the leader approached her undoing his pants again.

"That was quick, Toresh. Watch what a grown man can do," he said as he dropped his pants again. Careena rolled her eyes, annoyed that she was going to have to endure this man again. He knelt down between her legs and this time pushed her knees back towards her shoulders lifting her bottom off the floor. He shuffled forward on his knees and released one of her legs so that he could take hold of his cock. Her low back and butt came down to rest on his thighs.

Careena's eyes shot wide when she felt the rubbery head of his cock nosing around her anus. These rapists had flooded her pussy with cum and it had been flowing out of her cunt and down the crack of her ass. Her rapist was coating his cock with the slippery mess so that he could easily push his cock into her back passage.

"No, please not there!" Careena pleaded as she felt the cock head begin to press forward.

***

Kalas led the three men away from his wife and the docks. He didn't want any sounds drawing the city guard or the men's friends. He walked as fast as he could without appearing to be running away from them. After about twenty minutes he started looking for a good place to catch them unaware.

He spied a line a rocks leading down from above the tide line to the beach. He veered away from the ocean towards the furthest large rock and stopped. "It's under here," he said pointing at the rock. The other three men looked at him expectantly and Kalas shrugged. He knelt down and dug under the rock so he could get his fingers under it. With amazing speed, he lifted the rock and threw it at the nearest of the three men.

The rock crashed into the surprised thug's head with a sickening crunch. He collapsed to the ground with blood gushing from his caved in skull. Kalas faced the other two and let the paladin fire fill him. The both charged at the same time, not realizing the danger they were in, or deciding that it was better to die fighting than running. Kalas let the fire run down his arms and into his fingertips. It burst forth, searing a hole straight through the chest of each man. The both dropped dead to the ground a few feet in front of him.

He checked the man with the crushed skull and found him dead as well. He searched all three bodies for weapons and only found three poorly made daggers. None of them was made of fine enough metal to channel his paladin fire for more than a few seconds, but he took them anyway. He threw the three bodies into the ocean before heading off to rescue his wife.

His heavy feet on the beach would make too much noise, so he stayed up behind the buildings. He crept along slowly, not wanting to be heard before he reached them. He also was unsure which building they were in. He paused behind each one to listen for sounds. It was slow going, and he was getting anxious about the fate of his wife, but he knew that it would serve both of them better if he took care.

His route served him as Zaketh didn't hear or see his approach. When he got behind the building he could clearly hear his wife in distress. He couldn't see where everyone was located inside, and the rear door looked like it would make too much noise if he tried it.

He quietly crept below one of the windows and then slowly eased up to peer inside. There was one man against the far wall intently watching the pair in the center of the room. Kalas's blood boiled as he followed the man's gaze to the other man sodomizing Careena. She was thrashing and crying, begging the man to stop.

He crouched back down and filled himself with the paladin fire again, breathing deeply to calm his anger. When he was ready, he quickly came to his feet, and threw two of the daggers, filling them with fire as they left his hands. They flew like two small comets from his hands. One struck the man across the room and exploded in his chest, separating him in two pieces. The other struck the man raping his wife in the head, incinerating everything down to his neck. Careena screamed in shock and tried to roll out from under the limp body that fell on top of her.

Kalas ran to the front of the building and into the interior. He could hear the last man running across the upper floor. He headed up the stairs to intercept him, pulling the last dagger. The man had his sword out but withered in fright at the sight of the flame wreathed giant man. Kalas stabbed him in the chest, letting the flames flow into the dagger and into the other man. Zaketh's whole body smoked and burned as the paladin fire consumed him.

Kalas ran back down to his wife, extinguishing his flames as he went. He hauled the body of her tormentor off her and cradled her in his arms. She was sobbing, but coherent, and assured him she would be all right. He helped her clean up and get dressed, and then he disposed of the bodies in the ocean as he had done with the others.

"I'm glad they're dead," Careena whispered sadly as he carried her back towards the dock. Kalas didn't respond, but clenched his jaw and gritted his teeth as the image of his wife being violated flashed through his mind.

Chapter 12

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