“What... what just happened?” Gella asked. My sworn sword was just as confused as everyone else.

I wasn't, though. I clearly saw my son and had touched his spirit... something that I never thought was possible, not that I even had thoughts in that direction. Life was life and that was it. If you wasted it, you were dead and that was that.

“D-David.” Greta whispered from my lap.

“Third pouch from my shoulder.” I whispered back.

Greta's shaking hands dug at the pocket and took out a general health potion to give herself a boost. She drank it and waited for it to flush through her system. “You can let me go, now.”

I did so and she stood on slightly shaky legs. “Do you need another one?”

“No. That's not from exhaustion.” Greta said and touched the body's forehead and said the closing lines of the ritual.

I wasn't surprised that nothing else happened.

“By the Son's Light.” Someone in the crowd said loudly.

“The Son's Light.” Someone else said. Then they all started waking the ones who fainted and the phrase spread around. Soon, they were all saying it like prayers and were looking at me like I had done some kind of miracle. It wasn't me, though.

I looked up near the ceiling where Damon had faded away. “Thank you, Helena.”

Jill let out a sob and wrapped her arms around me and cried hard. She had lost both her Lady and her new Lord, and she was seemingly set adrift without anyone to care for. With the rest of the Henrietta family dead, she didn't even have a home to return to.

“You can stay here for now.” I said to her and her grip tightened.

“My lord.” Ann said from a few seats down. “I think... with what I've just seen...”

“I free you of any responsibility towards me, if you believed I am holding you to a solemn vow that you didn't make.” I said, giving both her and her man the excuses they wanted.

Gellen jumped to his feet and ran over to her. “We can start right away!”

Ann beamed a smile at him and turned to me. “Thank you, my lord.”

“Your service has been exemplary and I have been glad to allow you to ply your trade to the best of your ability.” I said and nodded to her. “I can only hope that raising a child will let you be happy in your new life in a new land.”

“I am already happy, my lord.” Ann said and looked at her man.

“We both are.” Gellen said. “We want to share that happiness with our children.”

“Ch-children? As in more than one?” Ann asked, surprised.

“We are rich, my wife. Why should we only have one child under the Son's Blessing?”

Ann let out a happy noise and jumped into his arms to kiss him.

Jensen stood up with Molly and came over to us. “Sir.”

“Greta needs someone to maintain order here at the Sanctuary.” I said and nodded to her. “I don't see why your previous job can't transfer directly over from the ship to here.”

Jensen gave his wife a hug. “Thank you, sir.”

With them as an example, I was swamped by couples looking for my permission, as if they actually needed it.

“I'll send someone to bring a church member here to perform any ceremonies you need.” Greta said.

“After what we just saw, you and Lord Drake are all the authority we will ever need.” Jensen said and everyone nodded.

“If that's true, then...” Greta looked at me and back at him. “Tomorrow morning, gather everyone that wants to marry and come back here.”

“Yes, ma'am.” A lot of people said and then they started to leave. They talked loudly about what went on and also promised to come together in defense of this place. Their new home. A few even mentioned forming a permanent fighting unit in case I needed one.

“I think it's time for bed.” Hanna said and stood. “My lord, Farra, Gella. Our suite awaits us.”

“That's a good idea.” Greta said. “Jensen?”

“Yours is right beside David's on the second floor at the end of the hall. We didn't want to disrupt anything here on this floor, even if you're going to be here all the time.”

Greta nodded. “Thank you.”

“It was no trouble and we did them first.” Jensen said. “Priorities, you know.”

Greta smiled and we all left to go to our rooms. Jill clung to me and wouldn't let me go, so we walked a little awkwardly as we followed the others. Her crying slowed down and she only let out little whines occasionally.

The slaves from the second ship had to stay on The Frigging Frigate for now, until the third floor could be changed out for them to have their own living spaces. There was lots to do and everyone would be kept busy, especially with so many men and women getting together to start families.

When we arrived on the second floor in my room, it was nearly identical to the captain's cabin on the ship. It also had a side room with a bathroom and another side room with all of my gold coins in it. They had even brought over my captain's chest with my share of the loot in it. I thought about ordering a magical safe to be delivered, then realized the ones that made them were the ones that I had killed.

“Remind me to search through the upper floors for the plans to make magical safes.” I said out loud.

“Yes, my lord.” The women with me said.

“Jill, I need a bath.” I said and she gasped, then she cried some more.

“I'll help.” Hanna said and the three of us went into the bathroom. They stripped me off and Jill let out a sob at my completely white skin. I needed their help to step into the tub, because of my missing toes. Jill's eyes were a constant streams of tears as she helped me and then washed me completely, with Hanna's help.

When it was over, I couldn't stand in the normal way for Jill to perform the ritual properly. Hanna instructed her on Ann's modification to both please me and herself while also completing the ritual. Jill looked both intrigued and relieved that she wouldn't fail in her new duties.

It turned out that she preferred the new way with me laying down, because it gave her much more control over everything and made it easier on her. She didn't have to hold me steady or help me keep my balance if I was standing, so she was quite enthusiastic and performed the ritual perfectly. When she slipped her mouth off of me and swallowed, Jill gave me a happy smile through her tears.

“Thank you, my lord. I know that my lady would be pleased that I could do this for you.” Jill said.

“She would be. You did very well.” I said and cupped the side of her face. “My sleeping arrangements have been altered while I've been away.”

Jill looked at the three women nearby and realized that they hadn't looked away or looked embarrassed. “You sleep in the bed with him, don't you?”

“My lord shares his magic willingly and without expectation.” Farra said. “We take turns cuddling, as to not overwhelm ourselves.”

“We can defer to you for first shift tonight.” Gella said and stripped off. “We need baths and won't sully our lord if it's not necessary.”

Farra was right behind her and they went to the bathroom.

“I'll help.” Hanna said and followed them.

Jill waited for them to close the bathroom door before she spoke. “My lord, you know I don't have magic.”

“It's not required.” I said and climbed into bed and under the light blanket wearing just underwear. “They just enjoy sleeping more with me sharing.”

Jill nodded and stood to strip off. I watched her as she did so and she was blushing pretty hard when she walked over to one of her bags and took out a pair of panties and a half nightgown. She slipped both on and came over to the bed.

“My lord, I... I must confess something.” Jill said and climbed onto the bed to sit beside me. “I want to lie to you. I want to tell you that My Lady also charged me with performing her wifely duties on her behalf.” She said and didn't look at me. “She didn't. She only told me to take care of my little lord and not you.”

“I know.” I said and she turned her head to look at me. “He was the most important thing to her, even more important than me.”

“M-my lord, that... that...”

“You don't have to lie. If I had been here, I would have told you the same thing. If anything happened to me, you were to look after him as best as you could.” I said and the tears started to flow out of her eyes again. “Helena chose well to pick you for such an important task.”

“MY LORD!” Jill yelled and dove for me to hug me. She cried for nearly ten minutes before she calmed down. I held her tightly the whole time.

_______________

You have a minor choice to make. It will only affect your relationship with Jill.

A) Believe the lie. B) Believe the truth. C) Kick her out of bed. D) Ask for another bath.
E) Perform husbandly duties. F) Let her perform wifely duties. G) Let out your frustration on her.

Obviously, she thinks husband and wife duties are different, so I think that's out. I don't want to give her the wrong impression by making her think I'm replacing Helena. I thought. A and F are similar and also apparently different options, so A's out. I already believe the truth, so that's out as well.

I read the options again and sighed.

I can't kick her out of bed right after inviting her and another bath can't happen with the others in there. That leaves only one option. I'll choose G.

_______________

“There's only one thing wrong with your thinking.” I whispered to her and she opened her damp eyes to look at me. “You're trying to justify things by keeping them inside your frame of mind as a personal maid.”

Jill blinked her eyes at me and looked confused.

“You are not my personal maid, despite doing that duty occasionally both before and again tonight.” I said and she gasped.

“My... my lord, you... you can't mean...” Jill tried to say and she blushed deeply.

“I have been very frustrated and I just realized that I haven't had sex in about eight months.” I said and rolled her over as I peeled her nightie off. When I moved down to reach for her panties, they were already soaked. “I see you understand.”

“Y-yes, my lord.” Jill whispered and didn't try to cover herself as I pulled her panties off. “I accept this token gift from you. In return, you can alleviate your frustration as much as you want tonight.”

“I intend to.” I said and spread her legs to kiss her there. She came immediately and moaned very loudly. When I tried to lick her, she had that thing between her legs that told me she hadn't had sex before. I stopped licking and looked up at her face.

“Please, take my maidenhood. Let me gift to you what Helena wished she could have given to you herself.”

I didn't detect a lie, so I nodded and went back to work.

“Ohhhhh!” Jill moaned and writhed on the bed as she felt things she hadn't felt before. It was only a short time later that she begged me to hurry up and claim her gift, because she couldn't wait any longer.

I climbed up to place myself at her opening and had a feeling I needed to cast a spell, so I cast the Minor Healing spell on her as I pushed through that blockage and slid right inside of her without resistance.

“OHHHH!” Jill nearly screamed in pleasure and then moaned some more as I moved in and out of her.

Farra, Gella, and Hanna eventually came out of the bathroom and sat on the bed to watch as I thoroughly took Jill's maidenhood and made her feel every bit of my frustration from my time away. Her constantly whispering 'thank you' let me know that she appreciated my diligence and attention to detail.

When I reached my limit, I pulled out of her and rolled onto my back. “Bath ritual!”

Jill sprung up and dove onto my throbbing erection with her mouth and performed the ritual perfectly. She moaned as she swallowed all of what I had to offer her, then she cleaned me up with her tongue. She looked pleased with herself and laid down beside me to cuddle into my side, sated and happy. It took her several minutes before she gasped and her grip on my arm tightened.

“My lord! What was that at the end?” Jill asked as she sat up. “Why did you say that?”

“I wanted to make sure you knew that I wasn't taking advantage of you.” I said and she looked surprised. “What better way to make sure we didn't have an accident by having you do the ritual?”

Jill opened her mouth to respond, then she closed it and thought about it. “I didn't even think about it. You could have impregnated me just then and I wouldn't have had the ability to say no.” She looked down at my waning manhood and back at my face. “We're never doing this again. It's too dangerous.”

“I know. Helena wouldn't allow it, either.” I said and Jill nodded, then she laid back down and cuddled into my side.

“I'm going to treasure this moment for the rest of my life.” Jill said.

“Me, too.” Hanna said, blushing slightly.

“I will as well.” Farra said without blushing.

“I can't wait until you fix us.” Gella said and smiled. “I claim the next shift.”

“Damn!” Hanna and Farra said at the same time, then the three of the laughed softly.

Each bent over to kiss my cheek and made it tingle, then they went to the big bed at the side of the room. They were soon asleep, as was Jill.

I laid there and went over everything that needed to be done before I could recuse myself for the ten days to get back to normal. If I was efficient, I could get the first regiment of slave rehab potions distributed by tomorrow afternoon and then brew up the healing and wound cleaning potions to bribe Greta's sister, Linette.

Having an experienced healer stay here to care for me for ten days was worth the price. The last time I was all alone and suffered greatly. Hopefully, it wouldn't be as bad as last time. I wasn't regrowing an entire lower leg this time. I was fixing my back, though. It was a huge area and if it was as damaged as Greta's worried face had told me, then maybe this might be worse than last time.