In the morning, I went to sleep for several hours. I wasn't really in a rush with my schedule, thanks to not letting any mages live to pass on messages. I never did learn that spell, not that I really had anyone to send a message to, or anyone that would want to hear from me, not after everything that had happened.

I woke up and the maid was draped over me with a smile on her face. She was asleep until she made a little moan sound when she felt my morning erection pressed against her. She wiggled her hips a little to grant me access, then she really moaned as I slipped inside of her. She didn't open her eyes or lift up to ride me, either. She just kept moving her hips and rocked me in and out of her.

“Mmm... mmm... soooo gooood.” She moaned and held onto me as she made herself feel good.

For the first time, I didn't mind this happening. I understood that she was just availing herself of an available sexual experience. Her body pretty much overriding her mind as she worked herself to orgasm using my conveniently placed erection.

“Ohhhhh!” She moaned and clenched up very tightly, squeezing me hard, so I let it go and poured into her. “OHHH!” She moaned again and her body shook as it received double the pleasure she was actually seeking.

After a few minutes, I whispered to her. “I think I need another bath.”

“Mmm.... bath ritual... bath...” Her eyes snapped open and she lifted her head to stare at me. “My... my lord? Did we just...”

“Yes.” I said and she blushed. “Don't worry, I'll compensate you for the extra time.”

“N-n-no, I... this was...”

“It's always best when someone enjoys their work.” I said and she blushed again. “Are you sated yet? Do you want another go?”

“You... why...”

I rolled her over without pulling out and she stared up at me. “There's some time before I need to eat.”

Her smile came back and she nodded, so we had sex again. She didn't know my name, so it was all 'my lord' and 'a noble' as she yelled out her pleasure once more.

We both had a bath after that and she moaned almost as much while I scrubbed her all over as she did while having sex, which was saying something. She confessed to me that was the first time she meant it when she moaned and usually had to fake both it and having an orgasm. I felt bad about that, so I took her to bed again and we exchanged bath rituals at the same time. She absolutely loved that.

We cleaned up again and dressed in our clothing, which she was a little embarrassed about with the tiny maid outfit. It barely fit and she wasn't in the teasing mood anymore after our passionate time together.

I stepped close to her and held out a gold coin. “For your extra time and to give to your boss.”

She took the coin and smiled. “Thank you, my lord. We appreciate your patronage.”

I took out another gold coin and gave it to her. “A tip for services well rendered.”

She blushed and took the coin. “My lord, I... well, I...”

I could tell what she wanted, so I smiled. “If you wish it.” I said and put my arms around her, then I gave her a slow and tender kiss for several minutes. When I was done, she was blushing pretty hard.

“M-m-my l-lord, I... that was... I've never...” She ducked her head a little. “Why did you do that? Men don't kiss wenches like me.”

“You haven't met any real men before.” I said and she looked surprised. “I need to go. Would you like a goodbye kiss?”

“Yes!” She exclaimed and pulled me in to kiss me enthusiastically.

We stood there for nearly fifteen minutes before she broke the kiss on her own. Her face was beet red and she looked embarrassed.

“You didn't have to stop so soon.” I said and gave her another brief kiss. “Goodbye.”

“G-g-goodbye, my lord.” She said and watched me walk out of the room. She followed me discreetly, as if eager to keep me in sight.

I went to the front desk and checked out. “I gave her another gold for the extra time I spent in the room and enjoying the services.”

The man smiled. “I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, sir.”

“So was she.” I said and he laughed. “I also tipped her. Please allow her to keep it.”

“Of course, my lord. I don't hoard her fees. She just isn't one for finances and paying for food and things, so I take care of her and she takes care of the occasional customer.”

I nodded and took out two more gold coins. “Then surprise her with a few new outfits to reward her for doing such good work.”

“Of course, my lord! Thank you!” The man said and accepted the coins.

“I appreciate taking care of our people.” I said and gave him another coin. “Have a good day.”

“You too, sir. You too.” The man said and I walked out the front door.

I stopped walking just outside the door after using Stealth and Obscure spells. I didn't need great hearing to hear the maid scramble into the lobby.

“He didn't just do that! He didn't!” She exclaimed.

“I heard a lot of what he didn't do last night.” The man said and laughed.

“I couldn't help it! He acted like a noble and he did things he shouldn't even know about!”

“He really did.” The man said. “You have a gold for me?”

“Yes, he... he tipped me a gold, too.”

“I know. He asked me to let you keep it.” The man said. “What are you going to do with it?”

“You're closing up the inn for the afternoon and we're going SHOPPING!” She yelled.

The man laughed. “Well, according to him, you've earned it.”

“YAY!” She yelled and the door beside me was locked.

I nodded and moved off to go to where I had parked and hidden the tank. I had to get back on the road and deal with the rest of the country's mage infection. I was at the point now that I didn't regret having to remove the army contingents associated with the mages. The soldiers knew what they were doing was wrong and were doing it anyway. Their job was to protect the people, not oppress them.

I entered the tank and drove out of the town, with no one the wiser about it or its purpose. It was a shock every time I showed up at a site and I let that shock and awe dictate the events and how they unfolded, usually with a lot of destruction and death.

I chuckled and poured on the speed. I hadn't had to repair the tank and I had been in dozens of battles with it and fought hundreds of people. It really was a wonderful invention.

_______________

Montage mode engaged. Skipping miscellaneous details. Speeding up time. Done.

_______________

Nearly a month later, I slowed down the tank as I approached the road that went to Ester's Village. This was it. My triumphant return to where it all began. I almost laughed as I felt my emotions bubble up and I suppressed it. Now was not the time for levity. I let the mood in me settle, then rolled forward at a normal carriage pace. I left the ignore and stealth enchantments on, just in case.

As the army garrison came into view, it looked untouched. That could mean one of two things. Either they were still there and safe, or the Hag didn't make a mess when she killed them all. I slowed down and rolled under the observation walkway that was over the road. Two soldiers were on it and they looked fine.

The two guards on the main gate also looked fine, so my guess about the Hag might not be accurate. They could be replacements. I brought the tank to a stop and remembered something that I could do to easily check what the local situation was like. I backed the tank up for a short ways and then turned it down the driveway to a particular farmhouse. One that I really didn't want to see again.

The Addams farmhouse was exactly like it had been the last time I had seen it. There were fewer outbuildings and barns, probably because their farm no longer produced anything viable for growth and they had to either slaughter or sell their grazing animals. They also weren't farming anymore with most of their best fields being taken up by the army garrison.

I knew this was not going to help me keep my emotions in check and I came to a stop a short distance away from the house. I sat there and let my vigilance tell me what was going on. There were several people in the house and they were just sitting around and not doing anything. That wasn't my problem, though. They made their choices in life and this is where it brought them.

I ignored the irony of that thought and stepped out of the tank. I tied my hair back into a ponytail and left my swords on the back of the driver's seat. I didn't need them here, because no one was stupid enough to attack me. They knew what would happen if they did.

I walked over to the front door of the house and knocked, even though I was tempted to just barge in like I did the last time I was here. The door opened and a very shocked woman shrieked before she stood there and stared at me.

“Hello, Tabitha.” I said and she didn't respond or move. “I see the wedding ring on your finger.”

She took a step back and hugged the hand with the ring to her chest as tears came to her eyes.

“It's quite odd for a personal maid to marry one of her lord's disowned brothers, isn't it?” I asked and she started shaking her head. “Where is my other personal maid, Sara?” I asked and she didn't respond. “I suppose she married the older brother, too.”

Tabitha took another step back and then another. Her mouth was clamped shut and she looked like she didn't want to admit to anything.

“Darling, what is it?” A man's voice asked when he came into view.

“Where's Hope?” I asked Frank.

“She's tutoring some kids in the village like she does every week.” The man said and looked at me as he put a possessive arm around Tabitha. “Who are you?”

“I'm someone that certain people gave up on and abandoned as soon as possible.” I said.

Tabitha let out a sob and closed her eyes as more tears flowed.

“Hey what's wrong?” Frank asked her and she shook her head.

“Tell Sara that she is a disgrace as a personal maid, as are you, and you both are dismissed from my service permanently.” I said and Tabitha cried harder.

“You can't say things like that to them!” Frank said.

“I'm their lord and I can. They know this. It's why it hurts them so much.” I said and looked at him as if he was a bug that needed to be squashed. “Attack me and I will take more than your hand this time.”

Frank's face drained of color. “N-no, you... you're dead. They said you were dead!”

“They say a lot of things.” I said. “Also, I've died several times already. What's one more?”

Frank had nothing to say to that.

I turned away and walked back over to the tank. I heard a door open and the whispered conversation. I came to a stop and turned back to look at the still open front door.

“My lord!” Sara exclaimed. “Please, don't go!”

“I'm not your lord anymore.” I said and nodded at her hand. “You made your choice.”

“No! I can... we can go back...”

“No, we can't.” I said. “How is the commoner way of life suiting you?”

Sara opened her mouth to say, then she blushed and closed it.

“That well? I'm not surprised.” I said and turned back towards the tank to open the side door. I could feel the cracks in the dam inside of me getting wider.

“My lord! Wait!” Sara shouted.

I turned back to face her with anger on my face, which shocked her. “What do you want to say?” I spat at her and she flinched. “That you're sorry for leaving me? That you're sorry for forsaking your vows to me? That you're sorry for abandoning my family when it needed you the most and allowing it to be destroyed?”

Sara started crying and Thomas was there to hold her.

“You shut your mouth! She thought you died that day!” Thomas said.

I let out a roar of rage as my magic swirled around me. “AFTER YOU LEFT, THEY KILLED MY WIFE!” I yelled and my magic slashed out from me and tore the roof off of the barn. “THEY KILLED MY SON!” I yelled and my magic wrapped around the barn and I pulled on it.

The barn collapsed into scraps of wood with a deafening crash.

“YOU LEFT ME! YOU LEFT ME ALONE AND I HAVE NO FAMILY ANYMORE!” I yelled and a huge crack in the dam inside of me broke open. “RRRRAAARRRRRHHHHHH!”

As I let out another roar of anger, I pushed with all of my might at the house in front of me. It was completely obliterated in an instant. The debris was thrown across the field and into the waterway behind it. The five people inside the house were so shocked at suddenly not being inside a house that they pissed themselves and collapsed to their knees, my previous mother included.

My hair tie had come undone and my long white hair floated around me like a halo as my magic flowed around me like water. I was breathing heavily as well, like I had run a dozen miles at my full speed.

I stood there for several minutes with my eyes closed to try and calm down. I didn't want to do this. This wasn't why I had come here. I needed to know about the Hag and if she had made an appearance. That thought allowed me to rein in my anger. I couldn't lose it completely yet. I had to keep myself together for when I really needed it.

My hair settled down into a flowing mass and I opened my eyes. Five people were trembling in fear where the house used to be. “I am Lord Drake of Drake's Marsh. My Marsh.” I said, my voice unwavering. “I order you to tell me what's been happening here in the village the last few months.”

They did.

Apparently, blowing up the house around them worked even better than truth serum.