BXBX NOVEL Chapter 208 207: Departure
What they said didn\'t surprise me at all; the Empress\' warning that she wouldn\'t interfere unless the Empire itself was in trouble, and the Sultana saying she wanted us to learn and grow from this, but if Anput was endangered, she would step in for her daughter.
Neither of their stances surprised me, not with how they ruled their countries.
If they really wanted to, they could have been dictators; my way or the highway type of rulers.
None would be able to oppose them, but in the long run, that deep rooted hatred would eventually sprout and bear a fruit that would cause their hard work to rot away.
That was the last thing they would want, especially the Empress; she\'s ruled this Empire for actual millennia, maybe as long as humans have been around back on my planet.
We\'re talking hundreds of new innovations and changes bringing about new ages, the rise and fall of entire bloodlines, and so much more.
She\'s seen it all, and yet she is still here, ruling from atop her Mountain.
So, when they finished speaking, I nodded to myself before returning to the sink, continuing to wash the plates and utensils used for this impromptu feast.
Since I wanted to be here to hear it all, I was doing so by hand; everyone here knew that I could finish up in mere moments, but no one said a word as I remained over the sink.
But, when I heard Jahi listing off her oaths to both these women and their daughters, I turned around, my heart pounding as I felt her sincerity.
With my soul being so closely tied to hers, the emotions she felt as she swore each thing to the Empress and Sultana influenced my own, rousing images of the women she was talking about.
Leone\'s shy, but excited face entered my mind, the pale Vampire smiling warmly at us as she recounted a new discovery of hers, or how beautiful and regal she looked out in public, her Princess facade immaculate when she needed to wear it.
Anput\'s cocky grin as she faced off against any opponent, which was so quickly replaced by an almost childlike enthusiasm when she started discussing weaponry, be it how they were made or their origins; the Jackalkin shone during both moments, and her ability to be whatever any of us wanted while we were at home only added to the desirability each of us felt for her.
But, when Jahi glanced towards me, I shivered at her final oath; one that encompassed all of us, and those of us to come.
"For my Family, so that I can be their shield from all who would dare to harm them in the future... That, I swear."
The conviction she felt as she spoke those words made my heart pound in my chest, and I could feel more of that all too familiar heat spreading through my body.
This was what I wanted; for someone to make an oath like that FOR me...
It was what I had hoped Kyoka had felt all those years ago, and although I find myself in the same position again, I know that this time, my lover is being honest with me.
Not only is Jahi being honest, she deeply cared for me, to the point that she had placed my emotions above her own back when we had first learnt that she would need to take multiple wives.
So, I had a hard time keeping my boundless love for the woman sitting at the table at bay, not wanting to embarrass both myself and her by launching myself into her arms.
Turning back to the sink, lest the little willpower I had snap, I resumed doing the dishes, emptying my mind as best I could.
When the two women left to go join their wives and daughters, I felt Jahi\'s confused stare on my body, so I glanced back at her.
"Was that not good?"
Gulping, I watched as she got up, her lips pursed as she muttered her lines to herself again.
Absentmindedly pulling me into her embrace, I felt my mind grow hazy as her sweet smell entered my nose, and the stroking of her large hand on my ears made me nuzzle into her chest.
Feeling my tail swaying side to side, I blushed slightly as I peeked up at her, breathing a sigh of relief as I saw her still staring at the wall, her lips pursed.
After that burst of mild embarrassment, I grew slightly frustrated that she wasn\'t really paying attention to me, but I remained silent, letting her think.
Laying my head against her chest, I listened to her breathing and beating of her heart, the rhythmic thumps easing my mind.
Relishing in her attention, I snuggled closer to my lover, her warmth slowly adding to my own.
Hearing a cough, Jahi peeked over her shoulder, where Anput and her family stood.
Lady Sera was staring dryly at us, but Anput was smirking at me, making me take a deep breath before stepping back, away from Jahi.
As for the Sultana, she glanced down at her daughter and spoke, her raspy voice filled with mirth.
"I can see why you wished to mark her, pup."
Anput nodded, smirking at her Mother next, who promptly swatted the back of her head before letting out a huff, muttering "That was all that bitch was good for in the Academy anyways!"
Silently chuckling, the Sultana turned back towards me, her veiled face making her hard to read.
"Kio, I say that not for her... curves, though I can understand why Anput might prioritize that..."
Lady Sera glared at her wife, her eyes narrowed.
"But, the girl has-"
Gesturing towards me, she redirected the glowering Dogkin towards me again, saying "The scent of blood around her, much thicker than even our pup and Jahi."
Seeing Lady Sera\'s nose twitch, she furrowed her brow as she said "Yes... it\'s faint, but definitely there..."
"Which, admittedly, is rather odd."
Hearing Lady Presa behind us, we all turned to watch as Leone and her family entered the room again, with the Vampire\'s both glancing at me, though with different reasons.
I could see the tips of Leone\'s fangs as she stared at me, as well as her throat bobbing as she gulped, her crimson eyes fixed on my neck.
As for Lady Presa, like Lady Sera, she was staring at me with curiosity and confusion.
Even as I became the focal point of everyones attention, I kept up my calm facade as best I could.
Clearing her throat, Jahi scratched her cheek as she glanced down at me, saying "She... can be a little..."
"Unhinged?"
"Demented?"
Hearing Anput and Leone speak at the same time, I gave both a dry look, which only made their smirks grow.
"I was going to say-"
Glaring up at Jahi, I waited for her to speak, prompting the Empress and Sultana to chuckle as the Demoness meekly finished "Wild..."
Continue to fix her with my glare, I heard the Sultana chuckle as she said "Jahi, it\'d be best if you learned quickly to not even attempt to finish some of those sentences... they cause more problems than they\'re worth..."
Lady Sera nodded, before adding "Also..."
Her smirk grew as she glanced at her daughter, saying "The instant gratification for that teasing might seem worth it, but it won\'t be in a few hours..."
Peering back at Anput and Leone, I gave them a small smile, both shivering as the woman\'s implications reached them.
Patting Leone\'s head, the Empress nodded as she said "Trust me, one of the most powerful things in this world will always be the woman you are with... they can make your life difficult no matter how strong you might be."
She ignored the tight smile her wife gave her, before adding "Well, as long as you aren\'t killing innocents, I don\'t particularly care about your... hobbies."
Bowing slightly to her, I returned to staring up at Jahi, the Demoness flinching as she met my gaze again.
Filtering into the living room, we continued to talk about various things; it seemed like the Empress and Sultana wanted to know more about the two women who\'ve captivated their daughters, while Lady Presa and Lady Sera were both laying out veiled threats to Jahi and I, reminding us that their daughters are more important to them then anything else.
While slightly grating to hear, Jahi and I nodded during each, understanding that they were just worried mothers; they wanted the best for their daughters, and Jahi and I planned on giving that to them as best we can.
Besides that, there was that awkward few minute rant about not getting either them pregnant or me pregnant, both for the political ramifications, tumultuous time, and for the simple fact that we were still young, blah blah blah...
I gave my assurances that I wasn\'t interested in having children for a long time to come, and while the other three seemed a little saddened by that, they all agreed with me.
Other than that, we spoke on each of our interests, and how we could help one another moving forwards.
When the discussion was finally over, the sun had reached its zenith, and we waved them goodbye as they all entered one carriage, traveling back to the palace that loomed above us.
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Going to have a chapter about her getting the remaining xp, then the system evolves after that.
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