"Third... I won't say anything about whatever it is you're doing. You know what I mean." Cal's voice becoming much more serious. 

Hearing something that sounded an awfully lot like a threat.

"Is that a threat?" Focusing in on his face as I watched beads of cold sweat appear. 

He looked nervous before steeling himself, conviction filling his eyes. 

"You drank those poison elixirs like water. I don't know what you're involved in, black magic, rituals. Hell, Keaton, I don't care if you're an actual demon. Help me marry Kaya and I'll do anything. Don't and I'll... I'll..."

Cal said while trailing off. His expression hardening, trying to intimidate me while I couldn't hardy believe what he was doing. His nerve faltering as he noticed I remained unconvinced. 

Dropping to his hands and knees without warning, bowing his head, and resorting to begging at my feet. The normally handsome, cool, and collected Cal nowhere to be seen. 

"Please Keaton. I only have one chance for this. I never thought it was possible before but then you came along and everything keeps changing. Father would never allow it under normal circumstances, but if you make it a condition right now then he'll consider it. Please do this for me. I can't bear the thought of her marrying another man!"

He was speaking at a million words a minute while he begged in the most humiliating way possible.

A little disgusted by the lack of dignity. But it wasn't as if I was completely unsympathetic. He'd never really asked anything of me before, and I did make him a promise. 

"Cal." I tried stopping him, not able to bear seeing my friend in this state.

"Keaton... please..."

"Cal. It's fine. I'll do it."

"I'll-- wait, you will?" 

"Yeah, it's fine. Relax. I'll talk to your father."

He raised his head, tears running down his face while he looked at me.

"Keaton!"

Grabbing me in a hug, he sobbed on my shoulder. Tears and snot getting on my clothes, while I felt a mix of discomfort and disgust. 

"It's fine." I said, pushing him away again, materializing a towel, and throwing it to him. Letting him wipe the snot off his face off and collect some of the dignity he had lost. His normally handsome figure somewhat of a mess. 

Waiting while he wiped his face of tears and blew his nose into the towel, trying to hand it back to me, which I just stared at in disbelief.

Seeing something of a grin forming on his face, I was a bit annoyed at how quickly he shifted back to his usual self. 

"Keaton. I'll remember this debt all my life."

Feeling a bit embarrassed by how sincere he was being I just waved it off.

Finally getting him to leave before another knock rang out from the door. Hearing Jagen's voice asking for permission to enter.

Letting out a sigh as I bid him to enter.

The mood in the room had just started to return too, Belle and Tammy both hiding under the covers, completely nude. Was this a common occurrence in this mansion? Starting to pine for the old converted farmhouse where we at least had some privacy. 

Jagen was the first to bring up Kaya's marriage. Offering her to me in addition to Marcella, as part of an apology for her behavior so far. His idea was that Kaya would serve the role of a proper wife, while Marcella would be a wife in name only. That way he could preserve her usefulness as a mage, and the dignity of the family along with it. All while keeping me as a son-in-law. Marcella would be free to do as she liked. She would still need to bear me children, but they would let her live in relative freedom.

Like Cal said, Marcella being a mage really had complicated things. It seems like Jagen had fully expected his daughter to do her duty as a wife, our match-making would have made him an extremely influential figure in the kingdom's political landscape, but Marcella proved to be just too free spirited. Her way of rebelling had crossed a line at trying to threaten my life, but unless I fully committed to the family, they were uncomfortable with the idea of crippling her magical talent, and Jagen's word here was law, if he wanted to preserve Marcella then there was practically nothing I could do in the matter. Unless royalty got involved, he was the judge, jury, executioner.  

I rejected his offer, something that clearly upset him. Probably thinking in his mind that I was seeking to annul the wedding just a day after bedding the gemstone of his family. Relieved instead to hear that I had terms, which meant to him that I was still willing to talk things out. Laying out the bargain Cal and I had struck earlier.

If they sealed Marcella's magical talent, she'd be somewhat more manageable, but a large part of the reason I married her in the first place was precisely that magic of hers. She was the first mage I had ever laid eyes on, plus she was even an adventurer. Our talents and ambitions were mutually compatible, if only we saw things the same. 

Letting out a bit of a sigh. 

Cal assured me they were already in discussions for sealing her powers, unknown pretty much only to Marcella herself. But in the end I didn't get any promises, neither of us particularly pushing hard for such an option.

Even so, he promised that he would make things right and I fully expect him to do so. And if not... well, there wouldn't be too much tying me down to the Marcet family in that case. I simply needed to find another family to back me. 

Finally, I laid out setting up an arrangement between Kaya and Cal. Something that immediately tipped Jagen off to the fact that these terms had already been pre-arranged between Cal and I. Something that didn't particularly surprise him, especially after I revealed what Cal had offered, the five year term as my exclusive potion-maker.

Apparently Cal had discussed marrying Kaya before with him, something that Jagen shot down with prejudice. Marrying inward didn't benefit their family at all politically, so it hadn't been a serious point of consideration in the first place.

But if I really wanted that as a term, then he wouldn't particularly object. On the other hand, he didn't outright agree either. Saying he would consider the matter. Leaving Marcella and Kaya as pawns on the negotiating table, while we left deadlocked. Both of their fates left with a great deal of uncertainty. 

Jagen departing for the evening and finally leaving us with a bit of peace and quiet for us to relax for the night. Looking at Tammy and Belle smiling coyly from the blankets while I just sighed. 

It was going to be pretty tough to restore the mood after all the things that had happened.

Kaguro

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