Four #5
"Yes, it would be better for her to stay there for the foreseeable future, at least. Don't be in a rush to leave, either."
"I should stay?"
"Give her a second night."
"Why two?"
"Because I know you, William. You'll be back after that. Maybe not often, but often enough to make her and her father happy."
I nodded. "From some of the looks I've gotten, I'm guessing her father's okay with this?"
"Very. He worries about his daughter, especially after what was done to her. He wants her to be happy and to have someone who loves her. While he'd prefer an elf, you were all but married to one elven princess, and are currently working on gaining another one."
"So he's okay with me and her then."
"Very much. He's very pragmatic."
"And incredibly rich, and powerful to boot."
"He's an archduke, related to the royal family, has been an advisor to the current king since he took the throne, was once the leader of the king's armies, and is now known for helping those who need help."
"Wow, no wonder he went all out for his daughter."
"It's not just because you saved his daughter, William."
"It isn't?"
"No, for him, this shrine is paying me back for helping all the elves you saved, both the women and those few men who were there. He felt it was the least he could do, and it was the honorable thing to do." Fel winked at me then and held up a mug of beer. "You bedding his daughter is your payback."
"Well, that and always being welcome in his house, I guess!" I said with a grin.
"Yes, so enjoy your reward, and don't worry about any problems from anyone. This is just one of the things that remind you there are good people out there, and it's always worth doing the right thing, because there are people out there who do appreciate it."
"I know I'm appreciating that for the first time in a long time."
"Yes, well, don't be afraid to leave her with a little something to remember you by!" Fel said with another wink, and with that, I suddenly woke up.
§ §
Opening my eyes, I looked down at Solenne, who was cuddled up against me and looking incredibly happy as she slept. Taking her head carefully in my hands, I kissed her and slowly woke her up.
"Again?" she said, smiling as she rubbed her body into mine.
"Well, it may be months, or possibly longer, before I get to see you again, so we might as well make the most of it, right?"
Her eyes went wide, "You're going to visit?"
"When I can, yes. Unless you'd rather I…?"
"Oh, yes, visit, please visit. Visit as often as you want!"
"Aren't you worried about me being here, chasing off the other men?"
"A little competition might do them good. Besides, I'm barely over a hundred! I've got thousands of years still to find the right one! Now come here and let me show you how much I love you!"
Solenne started in with a will, and this time around, she was starting to get just a bit more than a little kinky. I remembered then what Fel had told me, and I turned off the built-in birth-control. If she wanted to get one of mine in her, well, as far as I was concerned, she'd earned it.
#
The next day, we woke up early, but still got down to breakfast a little late. Solenne was definitely being clingy, and maybe I was, too? I'd saved her, and she'd turned out okay. Maybe even better than okay. So when I held her, I realized there were prices worth paying.
"Ah, there you are!" Zed said when we made it out to the shrine. "Give me a hand with some of this; it shouldn't take too long to get it done."
"I'm going to stay here tonight," I told Zed. "You can go back when we're done here if you wish."
He looked at Solenne, who was still being clingy, and then looked back at me. "Sure you'll be back tomorrow?" he asked in a soft voice.
"I've got things I need to do in Rossiya, but I've told someone I'll visit." And with that, I turned and gave Solenne a kiss, who would have purred if she'd been a cat.
We did get everything finished by noon, and Galathil showed up, looking suitably impressed.
"So, leaving us, William?" he asked.
"I'm going to stay another day," I told him. He looked at his daughter, who was smiling and still very much in my space, then back at me. "Zed, however, could use a ride back today, if possible?"
"I'll see that it's done. I'll also let the cooks and my wife know that we'll be having a guest for dinner tonight."
"Thank you," I said and smiled at him.
"William—Champion William—you will always be welcome here. I mean that. And honestly? If my daughter wishes to encourage you to visit more often, I'm quite okay with that, too. Especially as I haven't seen her this happy since she left."
Solenne turned a very bright red and buried her face in my chest fur again. I just looked down at her and smiled.
"Thank you, William."
He left then, and I took Solenne over to one of the bench seats they'd added—there were three now—and sitting down, she made herself comfortable on my lap as I stared at the shrine.
"Deep thoughts?" she asked me after a long while.
"Fel, Feliogustus, is not just my god; he's like my best friend in all of the infinite. I realize that sounds strange, and to some folks, it's almost blasphemous to hear someone say that."
"I've been told that a champion often spends time in their god's presence."
I nodded. "We do. I enjoy it. I enjoy talking with him, and I enjoy the stories he tells. I enjoy sitting with him as I talk with the recently departed on their way to be judged."
"Why would you enjoy that?"
"Because I enjoy Fel's people—my people, now—and I want to know more about them. I want to know if there are any last-minute words they might wish to retract or say to give comfort. So when I can, I do."
"Sounds like a great job."
"Not always. Sometimes it can be hard, and sometimes it hurts.
Hurts more than you can imagine. I've had to do terrible things to punish the wicked and the evil, so the good and the innocent will survive, and that always comes with a cost, a weight upon my soul.
But I see you, and what he did for you, and it's worth it.
It's all worth it. I owe him everything, and serving him and his people, it's a privilege.
"It does, however, come with a few perks," I said, and, turning, I gave her a great big smile.
"What kind of… perks?" she asked slowly.
"How'd you like to go christen the altar?"
"What? You can't be serious!" she said, looking shocked.
"Just understand that if I take you on the altar, you will end up pregnant with my child."
Solenne blushed again. "Umm, am I that easy to figure out?"
Purring loudly, I kissed her. "If I didn't want this with you, I would have left with Zed."
She looked up at the small altar. "I wonder if it's cold?"