Rex Partum
by Tracker
Part 3

Note: 'Rex Partum' is the continuation of 'Misstep'

Adeo Oriens

My son stayed and talked for a while after breakfast. The elves opened to him and me in ways that I hadn't previously seen. It had never occurred to them that we could be talked to. We swapped stories and learned a little more about their way of life -- their way of life away from the castle. They were in formal mode whenever they were around either of us. After Sean left, Gavin approached me.

"Milord, your younger years were not easy."

"No, Gavin they were not."

"But you bent to them."

I raised an eyebrow. "Your meaning?"

He was struggling to find a way to explain. "You learned to... survive... adapt."

I sighed. "When there is no other road, how else are you to go forward?"

He nodded. "But many never move."

I thought about that for a minute. "I have never understood that. If there is no drive, there is no... life."

"Milord, we were made to serve. This is in our very being. There were many, many season turns that saw no one for us to service. There are many that never moved forward. I see that changing now. You have given us other roads, other ways to serve, by serving ourselves. I know not what we are becoming, but at the least, we are now becoming something."

I stared after him as he walked away. This was the hope that Kisselia had mentioned. They wanted to be something, to learn, to grow. I could see many more discussions in the future.

Elerith came up next to me. "Sire?"

"Yes?"

"We need to talk."

I turned to her and cocked my head. This was something else I had not seen before.

"It is about Celeste."

"Is there a problem?"

"For her, yes. She is starting to feel as if you do not want her."

"Is this because we never..."

"You led her to believe that you would lay with her, she still loves to serve you, but is hurt by your rejection."

I smiled at Elerith. "Thank you, I have been lost in the details lately. I did not mean to slight her. What do you say we go take care of her problem for her?"

"Milord?"

"Well, have a bath drawn and pamper her, then take her to our room. Let me know when she is ready."

A slow smile lit up Elerith's face. "Yes Milord."

I eavesdropped and heard her mind call to Veraina and Eschele. One bad thing about the fantasies, I hadn't been paying enough attention to all of them. So Elerith had taken over some of the more mundane obligations such as making sure my 'slaves' kept busy and that the 'cats' were fed. I needed to organize them a lot more now. I had just been given an insight that was too good to ignore. Actually, reflecting back, I had gotten several insights. It would seem that bringing my son here was a godsend in ways that I hadn't envisioned. I had built a working relationship with the elves, but hadn't realized that I could have built a more personal one. Other than the sisters and a few others, I had never talked with any of them. I suppose it was my past haunting me, I had been so withdrawn. I had started a plan that gave them a vague direction to work in, not realizing how much it would mean to them, because I had never found out what they actually needed personally. Sean had opened a whole new vista, just by talking. With his help, this could be a lot easier than I had thought. I now had no worries about him in his position. His insights into people would do him better service than my guidance with the power. Actually, if I would have taken the position, I would have been handicapped. I had thought to keep him under my wing, but I was starting to think that this would best be handled as a partnership now. He was teaching me as much as I was him.

These were my thoughts as I descended to the classrooms below the castle.

Rex Rgis Lepus

I went straight to the throne room after leaving dad's place. I felt more relaxed, almost excited. The hall was deserted when I arrived, so I went to the throne and sat to reflect on the morning's events. It felt like I had already been here for days, with all of the stuff that had happened. I did learn a lot, though. Dad obviously set the rules and enforced them. Strange thing was, he seemed rather hesitant when we started talking about old times. Thinking back to what I had read and what he had told me, though, it was no wonder. It was strange, but the elves acted like they had never really talked to him. I wonder why? Oh, well.

~Where is Kisselia?~

~In the meeting hall on the second floor.~

~Who is with her.~

~All of the sisters and subjects of the castle, save for the outside help.~

~I would like to monitor... the room.~ I wasn't sure of the protocols.

~Audio and visual?~

~Yes~ So much for winging it.

An image of the hall appeared in front of me. It reminded me of the pictures of the heads up displays I used to look at on the net back home. I could see the throne room through it. It sounded like the audio was coming from the display. Neat touch. I settled in to watch.

"You have no right to make that decision!" It looked like one of the sisters. Blond hair. Foxy as hell of course.

"I have talked with him and we understand each other, I am simply speaking in his stead."

I puzzled that out for a few seconds. I hate coming in into the middle of arguments.

Several sisters and a few of the workers started to shout at once.

"Stop this! We are going nowhere by this path!" Kisselia almost screamed.

I could see that this had been going on for quite a while. Maybe I should make an appearance. I listened for a few more rounds, the elves were spouting off about tradition, and Kisselia, bless her heart, was pointing out that times had changed. I had heard a few losing battles back on earth that had those lines.

I opened a veil and stepped though, coming out right next to Kisselia. Talk about bringing things to a screeching halt. I had to chuckle.

"Master, I am so sorry..."

I smiled at her. "Don't worry about it."

"But, Master..." She almost looked like she was going to start crying. I hugged her, which started a murmur from the crowd.

"There, there. I will take care of it." I told her as I stroked her hair.

I turned to the mob. "I understand that you have a problem with the way that I wish to run things."

I always thought that pin drop thing was an exaggeration. A few of them actually backed up a step.

"Let me start out by saying that tradition is what we are going to start from this time forward."

There was a mumbling.

"If any of you have a problem with that, then I would suggest that you leave."

The crowd definitely looked uneasy. Good.

"I have no idea of how things used to be done... and I don't really care... I am here now. You are working for me. The operative word is working, and I don't know of very many people who can work from their knees." I paused and let that sink in. "IF you wish to stay here, then you might as well get used to me coming and going as I please. I do not expect you to drop what you are doing every time I walk into the damn room, because then, you won't get anything done... and neither will I. I am not helpless and if I want something I will ask for it."

So that is what stunned looks like. Looks like I rattled a few cages.

"We are going to get to know one another... It will probably take a while, as I admit, I inherited my father's bad memory for names."

A few chuckled, so I smiled.

"You will have to pardon me, if I learn more about my sisters first." I did my best leer, licking my lips.

There were a few outright laughs at this.

"This might take a while, as I do want to know all about them."

Several were laughing by this point. Mostly guys, but there were a few of the sisters and some of the girls too.

"Now, seriously, Kisselia speaks for me. She has had it rough and a lot of it was her own doing, but she is mine now and if she says something, you had better act like I said it."

That toned things down a bit.

"There is much that I do not know about the castle, about the land itself, and especially about the people."

I had their attention again, time to throw another curve.

"Kisselia and I discussed this for a while... after I spent a few hours getting to know her."

They were laughing a little easier now. Good. I glance at Kisselia and she had blushed down to her tits. That started a few more chuckles when it was noticed.

"What I am saying is that I need to be able to talk to you. Not the tops of your heads as you bow, but to you. I don't know enough yet to do this on my own. You are going to have to help me... You know what your jobs are. If you do them to the best of your ability and put up with a few stupid questions occasionally from me, we will get along fine. If you want to walk around bowing and scraping, then you know where the door is." I looked around the hall. "Any questions?"

I scanned the room. They were still a little uneasy with it, but there was no outright rebellion.

"Good, then everyone except the sisters may go, and thank you for listening."

The crowd filed out, leave me alone with thirteen very lovely elves. At least what I could see of them. No wonder dad got rid of those robes.

"Now, ladies, we have different rules..."

Ah, Celeste

The classrooms were a revelation, to say the least. I suppose that I was too used to seeing the apathy back on earth. They were less like a classroom and more like an open forum. The elves would take a problem from a text book and then debate it and pick it apart. They were loosely grouped, four or five to a group, but sometimes one would wander to another group if the topic was more involved. I noticed that several of the discussions revolved around why the book was using a particular technique and there were several other books open on the same topics as they compared notes. I also noticed that the texts were not always on the same subjects. Physics and chemistry, electricity and engineering; sometimes several different subjects.

Then came the real shock. I was watching as a discussion stalled. The group went to Eschele, who was "teaching" the class and they formed a loose circle around her. I felt her merge with them and open a direct link. I linked in to listen and pulled back out with my head spinning. They simply let the problem flow among them until the solution "felt" right. It was a mass/energy conversion problem, but they were comparing notes with quantum mechanics and chemistry as well. Their approach left my mind feeling twisted.

It stuck me as I watched that there were none of the power struggles that I was used to seeing. It was simply a problem to them; they didn't care how it was solved or who did it, as long as it was solved. It was elegant and frightening at the same time. At the end of the class, they formed a circle and "shared" what they had learned, linking with Eschele. It was no wonder that they had come so far so fast.

After the "class" Eschele approached me.

"Sire, we would like to rebuild the forge."

"Might I ask why?"

She looked at me as if I was a slow student, and then caught herself. "We wish to start making our own tools."

Sure, let's bypass the iron age and drop right into... but what else were they to do? They knew enough now to make what they wished, they just needed the resources and... In the long run, there would be no way to stop them. They knew now and they would not forget. But what was I worried about? Did the hard-learned lessons from earth even apply here? I had left them alone with access to the knowledge of earth and they had run with it. Now they wanted to make the next step into application.

It came down to a matter of trust.

"Of course." I suppressed a shudder. "Use whatever you wish."

"Thank you, sire." She looked as if there was something else she wished to ask.

"Eschele?"

"Um, sire?"

"Go on."

"We would like some computers."

I really don't know what I told her. I think that I simply walked away. I found myself walking up the stairs to the third level, my mind awhirl. Well what did I expect? I had given them... knowledge, a terrible weapon if used incorrectly. But would they? Trust. This had spun out of control in a matter of weeks. Even now, if I shut them down and they simply walked away, there was nothing to stop them from just going ahead and doing what they wished on their own. But where would they go with it? Trust. Something not received unless given.

"Milord."

I was jarred back to reality. Then I looked and was jarred again. Celeste was kneeling in the middle of my room in a black and silver French-cut bikini. Where in the heck did she get that? Who cares! I was across the room before I realized it and she was in my arms. I held her for a while, taking in the scent of her hair and just caressing her. I felt her hands on the buttons of my shirt and I let her have free rein. My hands found their way to her breasts and I heard her suck in her breath. Before I realized it, my pants were around my ankles and I was stepping out of them. Somewhere along the line, her bikini had disappeared. Then we were on the bed together. I kissed my way down her body and tasted her. So sweet. I held myself there and licked her to a couple of orgasms then kissed my way up her body again, pausing at her breasts to send her higher. She was tugging at me franticly to get me into her. Her hips were in constant motion. I finally relented and pushed in an inch or two. She shrieked and came hard. Her body relaxed afterwards and I slid into her velvet channel the rest of the way, pausing as I bottomed out. She was having none of that and started to buck against me, her eyes focused on mine. They were half lidded, drawing me in; both wild and shy at the same time. I started in slowly, building speed as I went. She was bucking wildly against me by this point. I forced my body to hold back and sent a silent thanks to the stone for the control. I wanted to make this special for her. She came again, her little pussy caressing my cock like a velvet hand. I almost lost it. Neither of us slowed our motions. I felt her build again and this time she pulled me over the edge with her. I watched as she dropped from consciousness and rolled off of her and to her side.

She came to a little while later. I was stroking her hair. Her eyes flew open and she looked down at her arms and legs. It reminded me of another young lady back on earth. She had awakened expecting to be tied.

"Milord?" Her voice wavered.

"Yes?"

"Did I not please you?"

Do what? Where the hell did that come from? "Of course you did, little one."

She looked unsure. "But Milord?"

"Yes?"

She hesitated, as if unsure of what to say. "You do not use me like..."

God, were there no secrets around here? I stared at her in shock.

"I mean, Milord, you do not take me like... like the... others. Is there something wrong?" She looked as if she was about to cry.

Did all of the females of this world want... So much for being a gentleman. Damn. "I didn't realize that you wished to be taken that way." I sounded lame.

She looked at me strangely. "Why would I wish to miss a chance to... be... um?"

I rolled out of bed and walked to my bench.

"Milord! I didn't mean to slight you."

I looked back and there were tears in her eyes. "You have done nothing wrong, little one. It is I that misunderstood."

I picked up a pair of anklets and cuffs. Her eyes lit up as I turned.

"Oh, Milord, please." She sighed.

A whole race of submissives. I chuckled to myself. Well, who was I to disappoint a lady? I locked the cuffs on her and then locked her ankles to her wrists. She squirmed deliciously. I made another trip to the bench and returned with some rope. I flipped her over so her ass was in the air and then tied her wrists and ankles to the bedposts so she was spread wide. She was moaning the whole time. I picked her up a little and slid a pillow under her so that her head was slightly off of the bed. She started to fight the ropes then. I grabbed her hair and pulled her head back. Her eyes went wide. Then I pushed my cock to her mouth. She opened it slightly to lick the head and I shoved it down her throat. Her whole body went rigid as she came. Rod Serling would be quite at home here, I mused. I fucked her throat hard. She was cumming almost continually by the time I shot my load down her throat. She hadn't passed out, but she was dazed.

I made another trip to the bench, this time for a vibrator and some lube. My cock got the lube and the vibrator slid up her cunt. Her back arched and she came again. I turned the little toy on and she looked decidedly uncomfortable. She just couldn't seem to hold still. I smacked her ass hard. Yep, there she goes again. I let her go for a while, and then I pushed into her ass. Damn she was tight. I pulled back out, and lubed up a little more. She was wiggling and bucking like crazy. This time I managed to slide all the way home. I could feel the vibrator buzzing on my balls and her jerking and quivering. I held her against her bonds so she couldn't get any movement going. It was driving her nuts. I smacked her ass again then started to ream her. To say that it was a wild ride, from that point on would do her an injustice. But she was definitely well used by the time I shot my load in her asshole.

When she came to, I was lying beside her again and she was unrestrained. She smiled up at me.

"Oh, Milord." She sighed.

I had just fucked her throat and reamed her ass and she was looking at me like a lovesick teenager.

"Are you happy, Celeste?"

"But of course, Milord. We all live to serve."

I lay there stunned for a moment. She had just put my worries with the school in their place.

Formo Editio

"So ladies, since none of you have left, I guess you are mine."

They looked at each other uneasily.

"From now on, you are to address me as Master."

Ah, that got their attention.

"Now we need to work on your dress."

Almost as one, they looked at what Kisselia was almost wearing. I saw quite a few smiles. But I was going to do it a tad differently than dad. I brought across a bunch of catalogs and passed them out amongst the girls. Then I told them to "shop" till after lunch. They left the hall giggling like schoolgirls. I had to smile.

"Kisselia? Whatever will we do until lunch?"

Her smile lit up the room.

Much later, we were informed that lunch was ready, by a sister named Absinithe, a cute little blond with a pixie face. For some reason she seemed to be fascinated by Kisselia. Maybe it was the fact that Kisselia was hanging upside down on a St. Andrews Cross and had cum dripping from her face. I had Absinithe help me get Kisselia down. Her hands were shaking the whole time. It really wasn't that hard to do, I held Kisselia and she undid the restraints, but Absinithe was panting by the time we were done. Go figure. I had Absinithe lick Kisselia's face clean, and then we went to lunch together.

Lunch was a little more relaxed than breakfast. Everyone was still walking on eggshells, but at least they weren't as annoying. I didn't particularly care for the seating arrangements. The only ones at the table where I ate were the sisters. That meant I was isolated from everyone else. I would have to study the layout more when I had time. I had no intention of losing touch with the people. Something to think on. I found out, however, that the guy that spoke for my father the other day, was called Rolfe. I shit you not. It was an exercise in self discipline not to laugh. I am guessing that he is what passes for a mayor or governor. I figured I could take it up with Kisselia later.

I led a parade back to my quarters. There was no trouble getting everyone in, as the two rooms were as big as the old house I used to live in. I had a seat next to the fireplace and had each one come to me and sit on my lap to show me what she had picked out. Naturally, I had them strip first. I noticed a definite scent in the air. It wasn't unpleasant, kind of reminded me of cinnamon and musk. It got stronger as I checked them for fit. Ah, I was in pervert's paradise. Teddies, corsets, thongs, stockings, all types of lingerie. I made sure that each got a pair of matching heels to go with their outfit. I finished them off with full length capes that they were to wear when they were off the bedroom floor. I told them to keep the catalogs and we would do this again each day for a week. I had to explain the concept of week to them. Culture shock again. Then, before they were dismissed, I picked a cute little brunette by the name of Taria and nailed her with the rest of the sisters watching. Then I sent them on their way, telling Taria that I wanted her to be back here after dinner. I glanced at Kisselia as I said it, expecting a reaction. I got one, she was smiling from ear to ear. Weird.

I spent the rest of the day trying to familiarize myself with the castle. I was studying the plans when I had a weird idea.

~Can you... put this in my mind?~

~Command not understood.~

Hmm... ~Can this layout be... imprinted in my mind?~

I felt a weird sensation, much like when the stone back at dad's place had worked on me. Then all of a sudden I had the entire floor plan of the castle in my memory. Damn, I could have used this back in school! Then another thought...

~Can you imprint the names and faces of everyone in the castle?~

I felt it again and suddenly knew the names of everyone, including people that I hadn't met yet. This could come in handy.

~Can you imprint the staff positions?~

~Command not understood.~

~Can you imprint what their job responsibilities are?~

Ahh, success!

"Your Highness?"

I looked up and one of the sisters was kneeling by the door.

"Yes, Callia?"

She looked a little surprised, but then continued. "There is a dragon outside that wishes to speak with you."

Quandary

I needed a representative: someone back on earth who would be able to convert the wealth of this world to money back on earth. You just can't hijack a skid of computers or a CNC machine and leave gold in its place. Well... I could, but a seeming normal transaction would draw less attention. That, and the fact that I was planning on doing a lot more deals now. I had put together a list of things that I thought I was going to need. This was probably going to be along the same lines as a business start-up. Everything from office equipment to the actual machines themselves. Benches, tools... and several medium size wind turbines. I figured that my best bet would be to start a dummy corporation back on earth.

The fun part was going to be on this side. We would need warehouses and handling equipment along with a crane for the turbines. The elves couldn't exactly go to classes on earth to get the training to run the machines, and I couldn't bring trained operators here. Fun. I figured on at least two bulldozers, a grader and a couple of backhoes to start the foundation work. Then there was the idea of concrete. That was another can of worms.

Well, first things first. We could start with my computer back at my old place.

I had just opened the veil when a black latex missile hit me, knocking me to my ass with a thump. It seemed like slow motion as it continued forward, rolling us over and over on the floor. Then the scent hit me. My last coherent though was, looks like someone was wrong about the timetable.

I have no idea what happened to my clothes. She was hissing and spitting like a cat in heat. Hmm, what a coincidence. I finally took her doggy? kitty? style to start. It was not a gentle love making session. The harder I slammed into her, the harder she slammed back. She was yowling by this point. Her scent held me captive. It seemed to last forever. I remember switching holes in mid-stroke and some more rolling. Finally she went still. I was still pounding into her ass, when I was tackled from behind. I rolled with it and grabbed whoever it was. I heard fabric rip. I had just started to force the point home, when I got hit in the face with water. It cleared my head enough to see a very panicked Elerith under me. I shook my head to clear it.

"Milord!!?"

"Water!" I croaked.

"What did you do to her!!!?" Elerith's voice was shrill.

"Huh? What?" I gasped.

I looked over at Tinimia and my jaw hit my chest. Her latex cat suit was gone. In its place was a coat of silky black hair. I rolled over next to her, my water forgotten. Her coat framed her face and blended with her hair, which had turned black as well. It covered the backs of her hands and it looked like her fingernails were gone. I turned her hand over and it was devoid of hair. I pushed the tip of her pointer finger and the tip of a claw appeared. I sat there in shock.

"Did you..." Elerith whispered.

"I... don't think so..."

I looked at her closely. Her nipples were surrounded with fur and her tail... Her tail??? I reached over and followed it back to her body. It twitched as I stroked it and I jumped. Elerith let out a little squeak. Then there was a commotion by the door. There were several sisters crowding the door and Sinimia pushing her way though.

"Is... is she alright?" It was Sinimia. "I came as soon as I heard..."

She rushed over and knelt by her sister. I watched as her eyes widened. She reached out tentatively, as if she was afraid to touch her, and then slowly stroked the fur on her arm. Then she looked up at me wide eyed.

"Did you...?"

"Not to my knowledge. Her time came and she found me here, I didn't realize what had happened till afterwards." I couldn't take my eyes from her.

Tinimia moaned. It sounded suspiciously like a purr.

"Sis! are you well?"

"Mrowess. rrress."

Her head lolled as she tried to raise it. "Purratt?"

"Sis?" Sinimia looked a little scared by this point.

Tinimia shook her head. Her eyes opened. They were golden cat's eyes.

"Yessss, I ammm rrwellll. Rowl." I could see her trying to focus.

I reached out and probed her mind. It was a confusion of different sensations and feelings. I calmed her and we started to focus things a little. I could feel the sensations coursing through her. She was much more sensitive now. We worked though it. Finally I backed out.

"Thank you, Milorowd." And giggled.

Then she stretched. Instant hard on. Even Elerith sucked in her breath. Cross the grace of an elf with the sensuousness of a cat. She purred again and then curled around me.

"Dooo you like me massster?" Her voice sent shivers down my spine.

She ran her fingers down my chest and I felt the light caress of her claws. It gave me goose bumps and I shuddered.

Sinimia giggled. "Me next!"

Yao Min

A red oriental dragon... How in the hell did dad take all of this in? I didn't feel too bad, all of the elves in the square were staring too. But dad seemed to take this stuff in stride. As I slowly walked out of the castle gates, I studied him? It? Trying to come to terms with something that I had been told all my life was a fairy tale. Well, fairy tales aren't thirty feet tall and god knows how long. Nor do they knock on the door and want to talk. I took a deep breath to steady myself before stopping about twenty yards from... it. We stood there for few moments studying each other.

~Your Highness, I am called Yao Min.~

I chuckled as he bowed. It rippled down the entire visible length of his body. Followed by the uneasy thought; now what do I do?

~I am here to provide a direct link to the rest of our kind; an ambassador, if you will.~

It struck me that he had an English accent. Weird.

~What do you require?~ I smiled as another of dad's lessons struck home: if in doubt, ask questions.

~I require very little. I merely wish to be a liaison for the rest of the creatures and be on hand if you require our assistance.~

Why would he have to be on hand? All I had to do was reach out with my mind... Oh, shit, I see now.

~I would be honored to have you.~ Can a dragon smile? This one sure looked like it.

~Is there anything that you wish to discuss?~

~Not at this time, Your Highness.~

~Where would you care to stay? I can make room in the palace if you wish.~

I could see that I had surprised him. He hesitated for a moment.

~Where would you suggest?~

I thought for a few moments. There was the guard stables; the royal stables were actually being used, but the guard stables were not. I could have the stalls removed and have the interior redone... That would work.

~I regret that I have nothing prepared at this time, but in a few days...~ I sent a picture of what I had in mind. I could see that I had surprised him again.

He took a moment to respond, then he bowed again. ~I would be honored, Your Highness.~ Then he chuckled. ~It would seem that you are much like your father.~

I didn't know what to say, he had no idea of the complement that he had just paid me. ~Thank you, Yao Min.~

~Your Highness.~

With that, he took off. I still wondered how a wingless dragon could fly, but I figured that we would have plenty of time to talk now that we were to be neighbors. I pondered on the dragons sending someone, whose only reason for actually being here would be a visible show of support. This was more of a political thing... I then wondered if dad had put them up to it. I had noticed when we were talking that he was broadcasting his thoughts, rather than a direct link. So this story would be all over the town, probably before I would be able to walk back into the castle. I watched as Yao Min disappeared into the distance, and then noticed that the rest of the elves in the square were kneeling, staring at me. Between dad and the creatures, there was little doubt that I had very powerful support. I just didn't see why it was necessary for such a power show. I knew that I would have to talk to dad soon.

The King and I

I chuckled to myself at the bemused expression on my son's face. He decided to drop by shortly after Tinimia's transformation. I hadn't even had a chance to actually get my thoughts together on the matter. I was sitting in my room when he veiled in. Elerith had taken Tinimia to get cleaned up a little and I was just settling back to try to put my thoughts in some perspective. We hadn't gotten much beyond the "hey, how are you" point went Tinimia returned. We were sitting by the fireplace sipping elven brandy when she glided into the room. She went directly to my son, whose jaw immediately hit his chest, and sniffed his face. Then she curled up on his lap. That was a few minutes ago. His mouth finally closed and he was stroking her fur with an almost panicked look on his face.

"D...d...dad?"

"Yes?" Trying to keep the grin from my face.

"Um, uh, what...?" He nodded at the bundle of fur in his lap.

"Oh, Tinimia?"

"Um... yeah..."

"Well, she came into her time and we... um, took care of the problem, and this is what happened."

"Oh..."

I could see a thousand and one questions chase each other across his face. I watched as he finally rubbed behind her ears and she started to purr, which made him jump. I just had to smile at that.

"Is she going... I mean... Is this... Um... Permanent?"

"I have no idea, but I think so."

"You think so?"

"Yeah, it was a surprise to me too."

"Then this wasn't... I mean, um... You didn't...?"

"No, this wasn't my idea. I had no idea it was even possible."

"Then this was her idea?"

"I don't know... She wanted to be a cat so bad, that with her time and the control over the power that I had given her, I think that she just made it happen."

"Wow... She looks so... damn... sexy!"

"Thank you, Your Highnesss." She purred.

Sean's eyes almost dropped out of his head.

"Um... uh... you're... your welcome?"

I couldn't stop myself, I had to laugh. Sean shot me a dirty look.

"Um... how... um... do you like it?"

"Oh, my, I love it, Your Highnesss." Her voice sent shivers through my spine; I could imagine what it was doing to my son.

"I can't wait for the next time with Milord..." She purred. "Unlessss of course you would like to scratch another itch that I have..."

I was shocked by this. None of the girls had shown even the slightest interest in having sex with anyone other than me. I wondered if this was a side effect of the power or her recent transformation.

"Of courssse, you could both..."

My son and I shared a shocked look.

"I am sorry, Your Highnesss, if I shocked you... This body is just so much more... sensitive. I feel like I am going to go crazy if I don't get fucked soon..."

My mind whirled with the possibilities. The idea of a threesome with my son was out of the question. But obviously, it didn't bother her any. Then another thought reared its ugly head, I didn't want to share. I'll be damned, I was jealous. I wasn't sure that I was all that comfortable with that revelation or not. I looked at my son and his look said that he wasn't that attracted by the idea either, so I breathed an internal sigh of relief. I would hate for something like that to come between us. This was new territory for me and damned uncomfortable to boot.

"Um, Tinimia? I don't think..."

"I am sorry Your Highnesss, I spoke out of turn. I know so little of your customsss, just what I have taken from your fathersss mind."

I think we both breathed a sigh of relief. She looked up. "Would you care to have your drinksss refreshed?"

"Sound's wonderful." I told her.

She oozed up out of my son's lap and on to her feet in one fluid motion, making both of our eyes bug out. Then she flowed across the room, her tail making a counterpoint to the sway of her ass. I noticed that my son had to shift, as I did, to make himself more comfortable. She poured the drinks then turned in one fluid motion. She strutted to my son, and then knelt before him, holding his glass before her. My son squirmed in his seat before taking the glass, his eyes wide. Then she came to me and repeated the process. After taking the glass, I pointed to the floor by my feet and she curled up where I indicated. I was rather bemused by her performance. Finally, I turned to my son.

“So, what brings you here?”

He looked shocked for a moment, and then shook himself.

“Um, I had a visitor. Yao Min dropped in and offered his services as a…”

“Ambassador?” I finished for him.

“Yeah, he made sure it was a public display, too.”

I studied him for a moment. “What do you make of it?”

“I think that the creatures want the elves to know that I have their full support.”

“And?”

He thought for a moment. “And I think it was to make sure that I knew it as well. I am starting to think that they have their own agenda here.”

“Quite possibly. But I also think that they are really working to be accepted. If you put yourself in their place, this is a way to show that they are willing to not only help, but to show that they are fully supportive of the structure of the government. I think that they have been hounded to the point that they are more than a little insecure. One thing that does worry me though, they are outside the control of the matrix.”

“What does that mean?”

“I don’t know. To be honest, I wonder at times, if our benefactor may have ulterior motives if its own.”

“Oh?”

“Consider this: whatever this matrix is, it has control of this planet on a scale that is almost inconceivable. Do you have any idea how it ran the plumbing in this castle?”

“Um, no?”

“It realigned the molecules in the stone, then compressed them to make the pipes.” I watched as he digested this.

“Then it can literally change whatever it wants.”

“I am guessing that genetic modification is not beyond its scope.”

“So why?”

“Precisely. Suppose it is like a computer. It has a programmed guideline and goal set. I already know that it has studied our world, but you know as well as I that we don’t precisely fit in the world that we came from. Now we have introduced another unknown element.”

There was a long pause as he let it sink in.

Decision

I watched dad sit back. He knew a lot more about what was going on than I and he was concerned. I felt a chill go down my spine.

“So what can we do about it if this thing decides to do something we don’t like?”

He sighed. “I don’t know, son. I am playing it by ear.”

“What else should I know about?”

He looked at me for a long time, then sighed. “This whole deal is a setup. The aliens were created by the matrix.”

Oh, fuck. But why? That didn’t make any sense… or did it?

“It created the aliens to force the elves into calling me here, then to consolidate my position here. But given the fact that it should be capable of altering the elves' genetic structure, the idea that we are simply here to add our genes to the pool can’t be valid. So the question is why are we here?”

That was a pretty large chunk to take in. I let it soak in for a while, but nothing made sense. Why were we here? There had to be something that we were missing. It must be huge though, for the amount of effort and detail in such a scheme.

“So if we aren’t here to revive the elves, why are we here?” I voiced my thoughts aloud.

“That is the thousand dollar question, son. The other question is what will happen if we don’t play by its rules. I have a feeling that I have already stepped outside the script.”

“So we need to keep our eyes open then. Shit, what are we looking for though?”

“We have three known factors, the elves, the matrix and us. So I figure that it is something that we haven’t encountered yet. The thing is… what? One thing that I have figured out, it doesn’t seem comfortable with the fact that we are not like our fellow men back on earth. The question is then, what qualities are it looking for?”

“Shit, mundanes? God, what do we have? Greed, violence, selfishness? Shit. Wait, greed and selfishness are more something to hold us here. But, violence? That is what makes wars and…”

“So you think we are supposed to be making armies?”

“Dad, what would be the reason?”

“I don’t know. That would suggest that there was another threat or…”

Dad went silent.

“What?”

“Suppose we were to conquer…”

“But what?”

“Well, what do we know about the rest of this world?”

It was my turn to think. Following that train of thought…

“Suppose that it isn’t this world...”

Dad looked at me. He didn’t look happy.

“I'll be damned if I create an invasion force.”

“Well, we don’t know yet. Shit, it could be anything. We probably won’t know till all hell breaks loose.”

“Well, first I think we should get rid of the aliens.”

“Are you sure that is a good idea, dad? That could be the only thing that is keeping this matrix thing from going to the next step.”

“But, we are risking lives if we don’t take those damn things out.”

“Not really dad. We have most of the bases covered. Stonehenge can take care of itself and we have the other major sites under control. All we need to do is keep them from reaching the mainland.”

“You have a point.”

“We can intercept them with the dragons and veil to any point that we are needed.”

“You weren’t here for the last major attack.” He sighed, rubbing his temples.

“Dad, we can intercept them a lot sooner working together, should it come to that.”

“It should work. I just don’t like the thought of those things running around loose.”

“I am just thinking that it should buy us some time for us to work though this.”

“Well, we can wait for a while, but they have to go. I don’t want to take a chance on them slipping a nuke in on us while we sleep.”

“The matrix is set to alert us if they so much as fart, so I really think you’re jumping at shadows.”

I knew dad was paranoid, hell, he had some very good reasons in the past, but I really didn’t like seeing him like this. He was right though, if they did manage to get though, we would be toast.

“Dad? I know this is a little bit like an off-the-wall question, I mean, I am trying to help and all, but…”

His eyes came back into focus and he looked up at me. “What?”

I grinned. “I was saying that we could both handle them together, but I really don’t have a clue what I should do.”

He shook his head with a grin. “I guess I am getting a little scattered. Remember that trick with the sword?”

“Yeah?” I said cautiously.

“Well, you do the same thing, but aim it at what you don’t like and release it.”

“Then what do I do?”

“Duck.”

Tinimia chuckled, or hiccuped, purred, or whatever.

"Milord? May I speak?"

Her voice was giving me second thoughts about nailing her furry little ass. God, how could dad stand it?

Dad smiled. "Of course, pet."

"Purrowl, I love it when you call me that."

She stretched, arching her back. I think we both lost our train of thought.

"Milord, has Elerith ever told you of the prophecy?"

Dad looked puzzled. "Just something about coming from beyond the stars and..."

"Merowl, and saving our people from within and without."

Dad looked up at me.

"What do you make of that?"

"Dad, you know I don't do double speak. I wouldn't even know were to start to figure that out."

"Within and without... The aliens... without? But that would mean that..."

"Shit, there is a threat somewhere around here? I don't think I like this..."

"Purowl, do you think that the words mean the other races?"

We both stared at her. "What other races?"

"Merowl, there are several Milord, did you not know?"

I watched the color drain from dad's face. He doesn't care for being caught flat-footed and this was something that he felt he should have known.

"I suppose it comes down to knowing what questions to ask. Damn it, I should have guessed as much, though."

"Dad, take it easy, this isn't exactly downtown Indy, for god's sake. Hell, the elves alone being here, threw me off."

"Purowl, there are several other races here, Milord. The dwarves being the most populate. We, as elves, come in a close second. Then I think that the pixies and fairies are a distant third. There is a colony of fairies not too far from here."

Dad looked grim, and then sighed. "Now the problem lies in finding out about the other races without tipping our hand."

"Do you really think that asking would force its hand?"

He looked me square in the eye. "Do you really want to take the chance that it won't?"

You Want What?

After Sean and Tinimia left, I sat back to reflect on the new information. The creatures aligning themselves with him didn’t bother me in the least. I really didn't know what to make of the other races, but I knew that I had to find out more. But bouncing ideas off of him did give me a new directions to contemplate. I reflected that I really hadn’t had anyone to bounce ideas off of before. This would be a win-win situation for us, if we survived it. The main problem was that I really didn’t know if I was jumping at shadows or not. Maybe the original programmers didn’t think far enough ahead… But no, how would the stone have a contingency plan to summon help then? And why would it feel that it needed help? Within and without? God, this was a mess.

That was on my mind as I heard the knock on the door. Damn, this was getting predictable.

“Enter!”

Elerith came in, followed by Melriea.

“What can I do for you ladies?”

“Milord.” Elerith spoke. “We were wondering if you might do with a distraction.”

“A distraction?” Now what?

“It would seem that Melriea has not had her fantasy yet, and you have been…”

I laughed. “Distracted?”

Both girls shifted uneasily. I looked at Melriea, who was decidedly uneasy.

“So, you figure that I should catch up on my responsibilities, eh?” I continued.

“Milord, we would never seem to press you…” Elerith reddened a little.

“Ok, ladies, what's up?” I said as I crossed my arms over my chest.

It was Melriea’s turn to speak. “Um, I am not sure that… Milord… we should…”

Intriguing.

“That we should what? Melriea.”

“Milord, It’s just…” She sputtered.

Now she had my attention. None of the elves hesitated when it came to sex, almost in any form. The only exception so far, had been Lyndara, when she admitted to wanting Elerith. Not that I minded, that was one hell of a show.

“Melriea, just tell me what you want.”

“Milord, I… um… I can’t…”

“You can’t?”

“I just… I want…”

She was close to tears.

“Melriea, would it help if I just scanned your thoughts?”

She turned white, but nodded her head. There was a tear in her eye.

What I found staggered me.

“You realize this will only be a one shot deal. There is no way that I would leave you like that.”

She hung her head. “Yes, Milord.”

“Why?”

“I… I wanted… after you shared with us… I want to know what it would be like.”

“But like that?”

“Angel…”

“Oh, shit… I see now.”

Rape. What was the fascination? I had read her thoughts on what she wanted and… my god. She had it all planned out in her mind. She wanted to be hypnotized into thinking that the taking of her was completely against her will. And she wanted to be sodomized. Almost tortured by the slow taking… forcing of her ass. She knew that if it was I doing it, her body would respond despite her wishes, so that was where the hypnosis came in. I thought about it for a while.

"Um, Milord?"

"I will try this under one condition..."

"Yes, Milord?"

"I want all of the sisters to monitor you through the link."

She turned bright scarlet. "M... Milord?"

"One reason is that I want them to make sure that you are not pushed too far. What you are asking could be very traumatic."

Elerith studied me for a moment. "And the other reason?"

I smiled at her grimly. "So that they can get this rape thing out of their systems. I do not care for the thought of it."

Elerith was quiet for a moment. "But you..."

"I did it with Angel and the rest as a game. What Melriea is asking is too close to the real thing for my taste."

Melriea looked as if she was going to cry. "M... Milord... we don't... don't have to."

I smile at her gently. "I will honor your request to a point. But you must understand, I will do nothing that might hurt you."

Choking back tears, she nodded.

The Price of Knowledge

I had just returned from dad's place, I had veiled into my room, when Kisselia came rushing in.

"Milord?" She sounded out of breath and scared.

"Yes, pet?"

"Evestele took a fall and her arm..."

"Take me to her."

She led me down the hall a few rooms. When I walked inside, I almost lost it. Compound fracture in her forearm with one of the bones protruding through the skin. I fought back the bile that was trying to crawl out of my stomach and turned to what dad had shown me. I closed my eyes and pulled up how to set the bone. I hope I never hear that sound again. Then I focused the power and slowly knit it back together. As I worked, I was watching Evestele, who was quite pale. I didn't dare rush it, what dad had implanted was quite firm on that. I finally had the bones healed enough to work on the lacerations. I did as instructed and worked from the inside out. She had to be in major pain, but she did no more than whimper. I scanned my memory and found out how to take the pain away. She relaxed a bit but was not breathing right. God, what now? I kept looking as I was knitting a couple of the torn muscles. Ah, shock! Shit, what do I do for that... Oh, I accelerated her blood production till she started to get color back and her breathing equalized. By this time, I had almost worked out to the outer tissue of her arm.

"Pet, how long ago did this happen?"

"She fell shortly after you left."

"Damn it."

"Master?"

"I should have been here."

"Master, you can not be here all of the time, it is not your fault."

I finally had the skin closed and sat back with a sigh.

"No, but... wait, I am being foolish."

"Master?"

"Take my hand."

She looked at me curiously as she took my hand in hers. I let the power flow out from me. I hope this was how dad did it. Then I heard her voice in my head. I just let it flow more and suddenly I could feel her. Wow! I tried to put across the knowledge, but that didn't work. I considered what dad had done to me... ah, let it flow from me into her. That worked. How much? Well, how much do I trust her? I considered that for a minute. All of it. Now, how did dad do the controls... Ah, that works.

I pulled out and looked at her, she was crying.

"What's the matter, pet?"

"You... you made... you trust me? I am like... oh, my... why... how?"

"You are a part of me now, pet. I have looked inside of you, and yes I trust you. I need help with all of this, I cannot be here all of the time and I also need to know things. All that I ask is that you don't use them unless you have to. I need to see the others and if they are as you, I will give them the power also."

"Like your father did with his ladies…"

"Yes. I didn't realize, though, that it was as much for their protection as his convenience."

"Your meaning, Master?"

"If you would have had this today, you could have saved Evestele a lot of pain and suffering."

"You care for us that much?"

I stared at her for a while. How could I not? But I understood something more about dad's chosen lifestyle now. As much of a pleasure and a power trip this was, it was also a very great responsibility. It gave me a lot to think about. Looking at it from that angle, this was a deeper commitment than marriage ever thought about being. I always thought that dad always took things too seriously in his stories, but I understood now, that it is a two-way street. The slave may serve the Master, but the Master must take care of the slave. They were giving themselves to me in trust. Trust that I would not abuse them. Trust that I would take care of them. That was what made his time with Ann, Leah and Angel so special. I could only see it from his side before, but never understood that he was doing for them, as much as they were for him.

"Yes, pet. I am learning, so please forgive me if it takes me a while to understand things."

"Master? I do not understand?"

"Pet, my father was almost born for this lifestyle. I have yet to learn it. I do not fully understand the responsibilities that come with it, so have patience with me."

"Master, we are yours to command."

"Yes and to keep and protect as well. I understand that now."

The Stone

The entity know as "Sean" is much like his parent/father. He risks much by giving the construct "Kisselia" access to the power, yet he didn't even hesitate. A scan of "Kisselia" shows that, by doing so, he has her complete loyalty and trust now.

How did he know???

The stone scanned back through the recorded events since his arrival, but could not locate an instance that would make a decisive point where such a trust could be recognized.

How were they doing these things???

Nothing in the patterns retrieved from their home world would give any parallel. Everything was skewed.

Now what was it supposed to do?

End of part 3