Chapter 70

With a castle servant leading the way, Frea helped support me to a different room further down the hall from where Rona Hassildor had slept for centuries. My legs were still a bit weak even after drinking a potion of healing. Serana held my hand for support as well.

“That was a brave and wonderful thing you did for them, my love.” Once the door to the room opened, Serana told the castle servant, “Please, make sure all of our people downstairs are cared for now, that they have somewhere to sleep. We will remain in here tonight, and will not need any assistance. Thank you.”

Frea helped me over to the bed. I truly felt almost like I was drunk, I was that drained. “Your Highness, Your Majesty, how can I help?” she asked.

Serana was already starting to pull her own clothing off. “Pull the covers back, strip her naked, and ... get comfortable yourself. My sister-wives and I would prefer it if you didn’t join in, but if you find that you must, then so be it.”

“Your Highness?” Frea looked startled as Serana was by this point down to her smalls. I looked over and saw that her belly was expanded just a bit and smiled. I tried to pull my own clothing off, and finally Frea realized that Serana was serious and helped me get my clothing off. “By the All-Maker, what is going on here?”

Serana fairly jumped onto the bed beside me, covering my face with kisses while her hands began stroking and caressing my skin. The arousal I had briefly felt when Janus had licked my hand, sealing the wound as his tongue ran along my palm, came back with a vengeance. I felt myself near flooding inside with desire.

Which, of course, had been Serana’s intention all along.

As things progressed and I felt my energy return, I noticed at one point that her flavor had changed slightly. The nectar I was lapping with my tongue that flowed from inside her was a bit sweeter. We continued on until we both had release, and with that release, I felt totally healed again. As we lay together in the afterglow, Serana took my hand, running her fingers down my palm.

“And this is why I am here, my love. No scar now. How do you feel?”

I could feel the sweat drying on my bare skin. “Good, now. A bit tired. I think I overdid it, even if the cure did work. Both times, for Hassildor and for me.”

“Even you have your limitations. I’m also glad that...” She sat up, then ran her hands down her belly. “Even with this bump now, you seemed to still find me attractive.”

“You are my wife, carrying our son or daughter. The spell didn’t tell me which. You and your sister-wives and our children are the most precious jewels to me in all the world.”

“Flattery like that will get you a second round if we have...” She stopped, hearing something. Serana turned a bit, looking towards the wall. “Well, that’s something I didn’t expect to see. Raise up here.”

She moved from atop me, so I could sit up as well. Sitting on the floor, surrounded by the pieces of her armor, was a completely naked Frea. From the looks of the puddle that was leaking out between her legs, she’d been busy herself. Her head was leaned to one side and I could faintly hear her saying, “Oh, All-Father” over and over again.

Serana and I left the bed and padded over to her. I found a drink on the table and held it to Frea’s lips. “Here, you need this.”

When her senses returned, Frea looked up in horror. “Oh, no! This is unseemly! I have shamed the honor of my village.” She started to get up, then realized she was naked. Her eyes opened wide. “What have I done?”

“Looks like you enjoyed yourself, although probably a bit lonely is my guess.”

Serana smacked me on the arm for saying that.

“Martina! Frea, I am Nord as well. There is no dishonor in what has happened. This is simply ... love. Here, let us help you up.” We did so, leading her over so she could sit on the side of the bed, as she was still a bit unsteady on her feet. Serana continued. “I have my suspicion about what happened, but ... tell us what you saw, felt, and did.”

“Her Majesty drained some of her blood into cups that the vampires drank. We came in here. You had me help Her Majesty take her clothes off while you stripped yourself. Once I was done helping her remove her clothes, you jumped into the bed and the two of you began the most ... I do not have words to describe what I witnessed. I wanted to leave but felt that I had to stay, had to watch. After a bit, I felt flushed, hot, and had to remove my own armor. I wanted to join you once I was ... once my armor was off, but I prayed to the All-Father for strength.”

She bowed her head. “I was weak. I did not join you, but my hands, my body, betrayed me. I touched myself many times watching the two of you in your pleasure. That was wrong of me, to touch and pleasure myself while spying upon you. I could not stop, even if I’d wanted to ... and ... I found I did not want to stop. I finally had ... the most incredible release I’ve ever known, then ... nothing until you gave me the drink.”

I ran my fingers through her dirty blonde hair. “I’m sure that over the course of your life you’ve touched yourself before, maybe even had pleasure with someone else. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“But ... two women? Our village ... we were always taught that love should be between man and woman. That’s why ... I ... I never felt...”

“That why you’re still, even at your age, a maiden. You did not feel anything towards any of the men in your village, but I’m guessing you did towards a girl or woman. And we took you from that village, showed you with Lydia and Mirabelle, Martina, Elisif, Astrid and I, that women could be together as a couple or as a family. And seeing us together just now physically...”

“Exactly! I do not know what the All-Father wants of me! I would do my duty to the Skaal, but...”

“Which would normally be staying at home and raising the next generation. But your heart is pulling you somewhere else. So now you’re confused and don’t know what to do.”

“Again, exactly right. I’m ... I’m so shamed, but ... I shouldn’t feel this way...”

I put my arm around her. She stiffened, feeling our skin touching, then slowly relaxed when nothing else happened. “Frea, sweet, that’s why Serana said that if you felt that you must join us, then to do so. We know what happens when people love one another, more especially when I’m involved.” I chuckled a little. “Tell me, oh warrior maiden of the Skaal, have you ever been in combat and received any scars or injuries?”

“You are making fun of me now. Of course I’ve been in combat, that’s why I wear the armor of Stalhrim now. That’s ... another ... reason I feared being with someone else. The Rieklings ... two spears of theirs ... anyway, I’ve scars on my belly, on my legs, that I will wear forever from their weapons. I feared showing them to another. I barely lived through those wounds it as it was.”

“Frea, did you watch me cut my hand open earlier?” She nodded. I held my hand up in front of her face. “Where is the cut, where is the scar?”

“What sorcery is this?” She took my hand in hers, turned it around. The look in her eyes was confused and a little scared.

Serana reached out and touched Frea on her belly. Frea jerked at her touch, then looked down. “What scars, dear Frea?”

“All-Maker! What is going on here?”

“Well, at least that answers that question. My personal touch isn’t actually needed for the healing to work. I was wondering about that.”

Frea sounded a bit frantic. “What has happened to me?”

Serana took Frea by the arms, swinging her face to face. “Frea! Look at me! It’s all right, nothing is wrong with you.” Frea calmed a bit at Serana’s commanding tone. “Martina is the Dragonborn, you know that. Being Dragonborn also means just that, she also has dragon blood in her as well as human. You heard us tell Janus Hassildor how old I am. I used to be a Volkihar vampire. I am not any more, because her blood, and more importantly, her love, healed and cured me. Just as her love for her people, for you, has healed and cured you.”

She blinked several times. “Oh.” She looked down at her belly, smooth and with no scars, ran her hands along her legs, on her inner thigh where the Riekling spear had pierced her skin. She reached out and gently laid her hand on Serana’s belly. “Does this mean I am also with child?”

“Uh, no. I have three wives right now, and unless someone ... which I wouldn’t put it past her ... brought something very special along, then there’s no way for you to be pregnant right now from what just happened. Which does not mean that if you were unable to get that way before due to the injuries you’d received that you cannot get that way now, especially if you find someone special that’s male. I am going to have to figure something out for Mirabelle and Lydia at some point if they don’t just want to adopt children. I...” I looked thoughtful. “Serana, do you think that the toy mother gave me would work for them?”

Frea yawned. “Oh, I am so confused right now, but I am so tired. I feel ... wonderful, all tingly inside. But I need to...”

Serana said, “Who knows with your mother’s magic involved? But for now, let’s just move over a little. I don’t think any of us want to sleep in the wet spot. This bed is large enough that we can all take a nap for a few hours.”

The next morning there was a discreet knock on the door. “Your Majesty, I have some breakfast for your party.”

“Thank you, Jordris. Please bring it in.”

Lydia opened the door for Jordris, then helped her carry in the trays of food and drink. They sat them on side tables. “My Thane, that must have been some night. I don’t think there was a person in the castle who didn’t feel at least a little bit of it. What happened?”

I slid out of bed nude and got a drink of wine. “Janus Hassildor and his wife have been vampires for a couple of hundred years. Since I didn’t have time to cure them the easy way ... and quite frankly, I didn’t want to ... I did it the hard way, with a chalice of my blood. Each. The problem being that drained me, a lot. Even more so, I think, than the arrow in the leg. So Serana had to help heal me.” Upon hearing her name, Serana woke up, saw the food, and joined me.

I looked back at the bed, where Frea was still softly snoring. “Poor Frea. She was just in the room, probably caught the full blast. We ended up healing her scars without her even touching us.”

Jordris laughed. “Is that what smells so delightful in here? Her ... healing?”

Serana softly chuckled. “Pretty much. Poor girl has probably never released so hard in her life. Martina and I need to get ready, go talk to Janus. Would you stay here, speak with her and make sure she’s all right when she finally wakes up?”

Jordris looked at the bed, looked at Frea’s face. “Of course, Your Highness.”

Serana and I quickly ate, then dressed and with Lydia in attendance sought out Janus Hassildor. We found both he and his wife in the castle dining room. He sprang to his feet, his wife following his lead.

“Your Majesty, Your Highness, it is ... by the Nine, I don’t even think I have words enough to thank you for what you’ve done for me, for us. I ... thank you.” He moved forward, taking my hand and shaking it in gratitude. “Oh, I’m sorry, I forgot your...” He stopped, puzzled. “Your cut?”

I couldn’t help it, I laughed. “Gods, how many more times will I have to explain this? I’m sorry, Count, Countess. It’s just ... you saw and felt how and what my blood did for both of you last night. People call me the Dragonborn without realizing how accurate that really is. Just as my blood helped you, it also helps me as well. The only difference is that for it to help me ... well, there may have been side effects for everyone.”

Rona smiled at us. “So the old saying of absence making the heart grow fonder may have not been the only reason our reunion last night was so...”

Serana smiled back. “Memorable? We may have to see if Erandur can tell whether or not you’ll have a reminder of this night in several months.”

“That’s not possible. I’m well beyond the years when I could bear ... aren’t I?”

Janus said, “Based upon what was just said, I suspect not. This is ... well, this morning has been remarkable. I admit that I had gotten ... well, jaded over the years. I find myself enjoying things again. The simple pleasure of eating food ... the wonderful pleasure of...” He stopped, reached over and took his wife’s hand. “Human touch. Thank you, Your Majesty.” He seemed lost in thought as he gazed into Rona’s eyes.