The Quantum Wanderer

“They don’t know, and I don’t think they would ever care if they did, my lord. On my side, I agree with you.”

As I turn to get back to Edward I offer my arm to Aquamarine. She places her hand. As I am about to give the first step, Aquamarine holds my arm.

“My lord, another information. The other 2 people that are deeply sad are your friend and his wife.”

“I… See… I will try to talk to him when we get some time. I don’t think he is going to be alone today. I may try to do that tomorrow.”

We move to Anthon and Edward. Besides Cesar, there are a group of people around them. With expensive looking clothes.

“Sir Marcelo! Lady Aquamarine. I was just relaying how your knight exam was!”

The nobles around give us the slightest nod, acknowledging our presence. There are a couple of students as well, that keep looking at me from head to toes. They look at Aquamarine and sigh. They receive a stare from Edward and what appears to be their parents, and straighten up. Aquamarine stifles a laugh.

One of the students was laughing.

“I am really happy that my exam was before theirs. The professors only went for vitals after that one. A couple of students may have been winterized.”

Anthon looks at the student.

“Winterized? What is that?”

The student looks at the other student that was there, then at Aquamarine… I remember the talk in the guild. I giggle. That makes Anthon that much more interested.

“Your highness, I don’t know how to say that in a non-crude manner…”

“Just out with it. What is winterizing?”

“Well, you see, your highness… The term came about during entrance exams… The guy that challenged lady Opal for the seat in the knight school… He was branded ‘little winter’ after that incident.”

Now I start laughing. Anthon looks at me and the student. Cesar pulls his father’s sleeve.

“I heard that from some other people as well, father… Basically, she kicked the kid between the legs.”

“Why little winter?”

“Because winters don’t bear fruit…”

Anthon laughs out. He has his hand on Edward’s shoulder. Everyone around laughs. Some honestly, some not so much. I stay around in the group. The nobles are commenting about the accomplishments of their kids in the school.

Anthon, Edward, Cesar and I are a little uninterested in those tales. They seem just so… mundane. So little. Some noble girls also approach the group. They have their arms linked to their brother. Something they don’t forget to mention once they are within earshot of Anthon and Cesar.

Anthon and Cesar suffer some advances, but then he points to the black cloth in his upper arm, and the girls stop. What amazes me is that the girls doing the advances are the same age as Cesar. They actually hit on Cesar after they don’t get a response from Anthon.

I can see how that just makes both of them wary of these girls. The treatment they give them loose a lot of it’s chivalry after that.

I turn to Cesar.

“So, Cesar, what do you think of the schools?”

“I still don’t have a big opinion on them… I would enjoy both, but I don’t know if the magic school is in the will of the gods. There is some magic talent needed.”

“Do you practice a lot with the sword?”

 “I have been having some lessons, yes.”

I turn to Edward.

“What about Sophia and Caius? Didn’t you want them here?”

“Well, Sophia is too young for this ball. But I guess I could have brought Caius…”

“Are they going to join any of the schools?”

“Right now they have a private tutoring. Numbers, philosophy, history. You know, the basics. But I can see Caius attending here. He has also been receiving some lessons on sword fighting.”

“What about the female hatchling?” Aquamarine asks.

“Last I heard, she tries to sneak in Caius’ lessons as well. The instructor keeps throwing her out, with varied degrees of success.”

“You know, I don’t understand that. If I am teaching something, I would always try to do the most for people interested in what I had to say. If the whole group missed the lecture and then I had one student that is interested, I would change the lesson so that I could advance that one student as much as I could.”

I hear a voice from behind.

“Yet you refuse the calling…”

I turn around to see Ambrose. Edward coughs.

“Professor Ambrose…”

Anthon looks at Edward and laughs. Edward continues talking.

“This is his highness. Your highness, as you may have guessed, this is professor Ambrose.”

Ambrose salutes Anthon. Anthon laughs a little.

“Professor Ambrose, your fame precedes you.”

“Thank you, your highness. My only wish is serving the empire.”

“The empire appreciates.”

…

Addrianna gets close to the group. She is bringing Cecilia by her hand. She touches Edward on the shoulder. He turns around. The nobles that are around start spreading out, noticing the familiar energy that is coming about.

“Yes, love?”

“Look at this!”

She shows Cecilia’s nails, painted.

“So…?”

“So…? By the gods! Men! Take a look at the dress, then!”

Edward looks at the dress. He looks at me, with a desperate expression. I also have no idea what Addrianna is talking about, I just shrug and give him a ‘you’re on your own’ look. Edward looks back at Addrianna.

“What am I looking at?”

“You’re kidding, right?”

“It is a very pretty dress…”

“And…?”

He looks at her.

“You look absolutely wonderful in your dress as well…?”

She gets close to his ear, to be able to whisper.

“Their dresses does not have a sewing line!”

Edward takes an additional look at the dress. Now that I heard, I also examine the dress. There are no sewing lines, where the cloths should come together. Addrianna is right. I look at Aquamarine. The dress also does not have the lines.

I turn to Cecilia, since she is already the center of attention in the group.

“How? I forgot to ask. The dresses were so wonderful that I didn’t question anything.”

Cecilia starts putting her index fingers together. She looks around, to make sure that only trusted people are within earshot.

“The dryads… They offered to create the dresses. The designs were provided by Huginn. She said the design came from your land…

“As for the seamstresses… They don’t exist! Opal and the others bullied me!”

I turn to Aquamarine.

“What happened?”

She shrugs, as if to state the obvious.

“That is spider silk. Spider silk comes from…”

I murmur the word.

“Spiders.”

“Kheek.” Cecilia produces a little sound. Addrianna, Edward and Anthon laugh. Cesar has left with some of the students, he is in a group among the youngesters. Aquamarine continues the explanation.

“Yes, the dress were close to completion. We get there, the dryads provided the petals for the different flowers, and the spiders did their work. They were quite cute.”

I take in what she is saying. I look again at the dresses. They have a lot of fiber on it.

“That would take a lot of spiders!”

“Exactly!” Cecilia says, almost crying.

Now her scream made sense. I laugh. Addrianna is flabbergasted at the revelation.

“But I don’t see any buttons or anything of the sort. How do you take it off?”

Aquamarine is the one to answer.

“We can just cut it off. The dresses are not meant to last much more than a night, anyway.”

“What?” Addrianna reacts to the idea.

“Yes, the material was not meant to last for a long time. The petals won’t retain their freshness for weeks, this spider silk in particular is focused on quantity produced, not on keeping the threads for years.”

“So… Just a single use dress? Those dresses are going to get destroyed…”

“Yes. The dryads asked us to bring them back tomorrow, so that the spiders can dispose of it.”

“Why do you need the spiders to dispose of it?”

“Oh, the spiders eat their own web after they are done with it, so that they have the raw material in their bodies to produce a new web.” Aquamarine answers.

Addrianna looks at Edward. He shrugs. Anthon laughs. He slaps my shoulder.

“Time around you is never boring, my friend.”

I am wondering what could I have to do with this, but I don’t say anything. Cecilia clears the small tears around her eyes, and straightens herself. I touch her shoulder.

“At least the worst is gone already…”

“Yes…”

Addrianna take a look at the girl’s nails.

“What about the nail painting? Now that we are in kind of a reserved group… Where did you get your nails painted?”

“Shoria. It is something that some nobles there do, we liked the idea.” Aquamarine answers. She looks at her blue nails. “They call it ‘doing the nails’, actually. There is a little more than just painting, but only the painting works with us.”

“Really? What are the other things?”

“Do you see the cuticles? They remove it, and instead of cutting the nails, they sand it. Needless to say, it doesn’t quit work with us.”

“How do you keep your nails short?”

“We just will them. Please bear in mind that these are not our original forms. I could change my nails, but the paint would get destroyed. And my lord likes them, so…”

I smile at her. She places her head against my shoulder, rubs it twice, and gets back to a normal position. Aquamarine looks around. She casts a silence spell. She looks at me.

“Just in case… Some people are curious… Including me…” She makes a puppy face. Everyone but me fall for it instantly. I am not sure if she is trying to manipulate feelings or not. She continues, making now a normal face.

“What is going on with you two?” She asks Edward and Addrianna, point blank. The couple freeze, unable to mutter anything. Anthon looks at Cesar.

“You do understand, son, that what I am about to say is a state secret, right?”

“Yes, father.”

Anthon turns to us.

“We have received a letter from the Holy Kingdom. They want some arranged marriages to take place. They want me married to the daughter of the new pope. That again! They want Cesar married to an Arthurian princess.

“And worst of all, they want Sophia married to the hero.” He turns to his son. “I am sorry for breaking the news to you like this, son, but I was still thinking of a way to soften the blow. But…”

“It’s ok, father.”

Anthon sighs.

“Thank you. Anyway, since we are mourning my older kid and my former empress, our predicament is not as bad as Sophia’s.”

The kid looks at the black band on his upper arm, and realizes what it is about. Aquamarine tilts her head.

“What about just saying no?”

Anthon sighs again.

“Have you taken a look at the hero’s party yet? How they have re-conquered everything, until Romuela’s capital, in a third of the time it took for Romuela to advance? Romuela had Skylar, everything in their way just fell. The hero’s party is more mobile, but the time is a show of force. Our military would not be able to stop them. Basically, the letter is not a question.”

Aquamarine tilts her head.

“So, basically, you are being forced…”

“Yes.”

Aquamarine straightens her head, and start laughing. Cecilia looks terrified.

“SISTER! Some respect for their pain! Don’t you care for Sophia?”

“Oh, I am sorry. Yes, sister, I like the hatchling. We all do. That is not what I am laughing about.”

I turn to Aquamarine.

“What is it, then?”

“Well, my lord, we all like the hatchling, but Huginn has a really special devotion towards her… Remember last time she was angry?”

I know I should not laugh about it, but discovering a new way to put trauma into people is one of Huginn’s hobbies. She doesn’t kill, she creates examples. Aquamarine turns Edward and Addrianna.

“If it is something being done against the hatchling’s will, you don’t have to worry. It just won’t happen.” She places a reassuring smile on her face.

Addrianna’s face start contorting. Edward makes an evident effort to keep his poker face. They hug each other, and break down crying. Anthon dries a couple of tears that comes to the corners of his eyes. Cesar is looking Aquamarine up. He doesn’t fully grasp the level of what is happening, but he is amazed nonetheless.

Anthon and I escort Edward and Addrianna to a room so that they can get a little privacy. We are a little more social conscious than Aquamarine. She breaks the silence spell once we leave the bubble.

Anthon calls a maid to help assist them. The maid brings some drinks. We close the doors a little bit. After some time, they get better. Addrianna gets a hiccup. Edward turns to us.

“I don’t even know what to say. Thank you is not nearly enough. We were even considering Rajesh’s proposal seriously.”

“Hum?” I didn’t even know about this.

“He had offered us asylum in the demon’s empire. It would be hard, of course, but we were considering it.”

I am happy that people I have met are now helping themselves without my meddling.

“Sure, but you don’t have to thank me. I didn’t do anything. And Aquamarine told you about Huginn.” I turn to Cecilia and Aquamarine. “Let me make sure we tell her in a calm way, so that she doesn’t take action before needed. You know her and your sisters. Specially Ruby.”

“Of course, my lord. Just please make it quick. I don’t want to keep a secret from sisters.”

“Thank you.”

Edward nods at us, we leave Cecilia with Addrianna. The rest of us come back to the main room. The girls see us, they come around.

“Is everything alright, lord?” Opal asks.

“Yes, everything is alright. I am going to provide you the information when we get home. It is not urgent, and not a threat.”

Opal smells the air. She looks at the close door behind us.

“Is sister Cecilia inside? With Addrianna?”

“Yes. Cecilia is calming Addrianna down. Again, no threat, not urgent, we will talk tonight.”

“Ok.”

We walk around the room. Opal and Aquamarine on my arms. I see Charles and Lucille, they are talking to each other in a corner. I look around.

“Why don’t we see if my in-laws are having fun?”

We walk towards them. Charles and Lucille freeze when they see that I am getting closer, and Edward and Anthon are coming with me.

They both kneel down. Anthon says, almost laughing.

“Please, just stand up. Like I said before, I am just a former student here.”

They stand up.

“I am sorry, your highness, your grace. We just…”

“It’s ok. Don’t worry. How are you enjoying the ball?” Edward asks.

“Well, everyone here is above our stations, to tell the truth. Even non-noble parents are rich merchants. Some people got attracted by our dressing. Specially by the necklace Marcelo provided, but when they understand that we are just farmers, they leave. Some merchants offered a lot of money for the necklace. Of course, it is not for sale.

“Some nobles have been eyeing the necklace in a way that gives me some shivers. If it were not for Marcelo, I would be completely terrified.”

“Well, that still isn’t a crime. If something happens, you can always let me know.” Edward answers, “ but other than that, have you been enjoying the food and the drinks?”

“The drinks are wonderful, your grace.”

Charles’ sincerity throws an arrow on Edward. Unfortenately, competing with food cooked by Roberta, with spices from the elves, and mythological steaks is hard to compete against.

Some nobles approach, in particular due to Anthon’s and Edward presence. They ask worried questions about the duchess, if she is ok. Some women that have never met Addrianna were all of a sudden very worried about her state, they wanted to help. Edward makes it clear that she is already receiving all the help she needs.

He also makes a point that the duo, Addrianna and Cecilia, are not to be disturbed. When Addrianna gets better she will join them again.

After sometime, the door to the room opens. Edward, Anthon, the girls and I are by the door. Cecilia and Addrianna leave the room, arm in talking about clothes, materials, and the like. Aquamarine whispers in my ear that Addrianna is a little better.

The rest of the night goes pretty normal. We split a little from Edward and Anthon, we let the bootlickers… bootlick a little bit. At some point, most of the girls are tired already of the ball shenanigans. We get close to Charles and Lucille.

“Hi Charles, hi Lucille. Are you enjoying the ball?”

“A little bit.” Charles answers. “People keep asking me who I know in the schools. I tell them that I know your wives, but that we are here for our daughter.” He turns to Cecilia. “All you girls are very famous.”

“Really? Please tell me.”

Cecilia is embarassed, the other girls are in different levels of proud. Charles clears his throat.

“Cecilia is known as the teen sage. The girls are known as four armies, apparently. That’s what some parents have told me.”

“Really? None of them mentioned anything to me!” I say, staring at Cecilia.

“It just never came up, my villain.” She smiles.

We keep chatting a little bit. Charles has a weird impression. Some people start talking to him normally, but their behaviour change while the talk continues. Charles and Lucille informs us that the behaviour changes when people know who they are Cecilia’s parents, and that they were farmers.

The most information they gave out is that I am an adventurer. They told me that the at this point some people are impressed, while others just start looking at them as if they don’t belong there. There are a lot of the former, though. Charles sighs.

“Some of them have even been asking about the seasons. Ok, I am, I mean, I was, a farmer. But I don’t know much little winters. They all look the same to me.”

I laugh about it. Charles looks at me.

“What is funny?”

“Oh, don’t worry about it. Just a little something that happened. Little winter is a school’s candidate nickname.”

Cecilia snorts. Charles sighs.

We end talking some more, and after eating some finger food and drinking a little bit, we are back home.

After a just a little more, we go back home. Back at home, we go up to our room. Once I take out the armor, the dragonesses start looking at me like a piece of meat. I can feel some predator instincts coming from them. I look around, all possible escape routers are covered.

They attack me, they throw me on the bed. Cecilia is by the door, but the girls are just ripping my clothes out.

The bedroom door clicks shut, and the circle closes. Opal and Shandon, their white hair like twin specters, flank me. Ruby blocks the path to the door, her red hair a contained wildfire. Aquamarine stands at the foot of the bed, her blue hair shimmering, her gaze a calm, deep trap.

There are no words. Only a shared, predatory understanding.

Opal and Shandon move as one. Hands, strong as forged steel, grab my arms. My feet leave the ground. For a moment, I am weightless, flying backward. Then the breath explodes from my lungs as I land hard on the mattress, the world a blur of silk and hungry eyes.

Ruby is on me before the bed stops bouncing. Her fingers, hot as embers, tear at my shirt. Buttons pop and skitter across the floor. ”You wore it all night,” she snarls, her scent of smoke and cinnamon washing over me. ”You let that dryad mark you like a stag in rut.” Her palm slams against my chest, pinning me down.

Opal cages my right wrist against the headboard. Her face is inches from mine, her pupils slitted. ”Her magic is in your skin,” she hisses, her forked tongue flicking out to taste the air by my lips. ”It calls to us. It screams that you are ours to take.”

Shandon mirrors her on my left, her grip just as unbreakable. ”We played their human game,” she whispers, her voice a low thrum. ”We smiled. We danced. Now we play.” Her free hand slides down my stomach, nails scraping lightly over my hip bone.

Aquamarine moves with liquid grace, climbing onto the bed. Her cool fingers make quick work of my belt, then my trousers. She pulls them down my legs and tosses them aside. Her azure eyes lock onto my cock, already hard and straining. ”The compulsion is not for you, husband,” she says, her voice like still water over stone. ”It is a key. It unlocks our hunger.” She wraps her slender, cool hand around my base, a shocking contrast to Ruby’s heat.

Cecilia, my human wife, leans against the doorframe, arms crossed. A slow smile spreads across her face. ”Told you it was a dangerous gift,” she says, her voice laced with dark amusement. ”Don’t look at me. You brought this on yourself.”

Ruby lowers her head. Her mouth, a brand of pure heat, closes over my nipple. She bites down, not hard enough to break skin, but enough to make me arch off the bed with a sharp gasp. She laughs, a low, throaty sound. ”You like that. You like being our prey.”

While her mouth tortures my chest, Aquamarine positions herself over my face. The scent of her, clean and oceanic, fills my lungs. ”You will taste what is real,” she commands, lowering her slick, blue-haired pussy onto my mouth. ”You will drink us in until you forget the forest’s trick.” Her hips begin to grind, a steady, demanding rhythm that I am powerless to resist.

Opal releases my wrist only to wrap her hand around my throat, a possessive, claiming pressure. ”You will come for us,” she growls directly into my ear. ”You will come for Ruby first. Then for me. Then for Shandon. Then for Aquamarine. We will not stop until that scent is gone and you are filled with nothing but us.”

Ruby’s mouth abandons my chest, trailing fire down my stomach. She doesn’t hesitate. She takes my entire length into the blistering heat of her throat in one smooth, deep swallow. A groan is torn from me. Her head bobs, setting a ruthless pace, her eyes locked on mine, challenging me to last.

The sensations are too much. The cool, dominant weight of Aquamarine on my face. The scorching, suction of Ruby’s mouth. The unyielding grips on my wrists. The promise in Opal’s snarl. I can feel the climax building, an unstoppable tide.

Just as I am about to break, Ruby pulls off with a wet, popping sound. ”Not like that,” she pants, her face flushed with victory. ”Inside me. I want to feel you lose control.”

She swings a leg over my hips, positioning herself above me. She guides me to her entrance, a furnace waiting to be stoked. Then she drops, impaling herself on my cock in one swift, brutal motion. A raw, guttural scream rips from her throat as she starts to ride me, a frenzy of need and power.

”Yes,” Cecilia whispers from the doorway. ”That’s it. Take him.”

And as Ruby milks my first release deep inside her, I know this is only the beginning of the dryad’s gift.