Fostering Faust 2, page 8
part #2 of Fostering Faust Series
Pushing in up to the hilt, he pulled on her a bit more and shifted her hips closer to him.
Then he gave her hips a squeeze.
“Are you ready, Four?” he asked.
“Ahh, yes Master. Go slow though,” Sylvia said, her hands resting on his forearms.
My poor Sylvia. Control is your need, which means I have to do the opposite to show you you’re not in control.
Leaning down over her, Alex kissed her suddenly, pushing his tongue into her mouth.
Sylvia responded quickly after an initial pause, her mouth opening wide and her tongue meeting his.
Then he pushed her into the desk and pulled his hips back. Only to crash forward into her, the crack of her rear end loud against his thighs.
Sylvia moaned into his mouth, her hands coming up to rest on his shoulders. He could feel her nails dig into his flesh.
Alex started to pound away at her, his girth roughly spreading her slick, warm walls apart.
Sylvia grunted and groaned under him, her body shuddering with each thrust.
He was already long since ready to climax, though. Valeria had been very good to him.
After only a minute of plunging into Sylvia, Alex ground himself down into her and came.
Moaning under him, Sylvia seemed to curl up around him, her channel spasming wildly as he unloaded his seed into her.
With a couple more thrusts, he was spent.
Finally breaking the kiss after having ravaged Sylvia’s mouth with his tongue, Alex leaned up slowly.
Sylvia was panting beneath him on the desk, her eyes lidded and gazing off to one side. She looked tousled and as if she’d hit her own peak.
“Work just as hard for your next reward, Four. I look forward to giving it to you,” Alex said, reaching up to cup her face with one hand and tenderly caress it. With his other hand, he gave her hip a soft squeeze.
Sylvia closed her eyes and nuzzled his palm, her innate nature completely turned off.
Whatever had happened in her life previously seemed to be equivalent to Nannie’s, given how much she had changed after one single act.
All Sylvia was right now was a shattered person who clearly wanted to be controlled and told what to do.
“Yes, Master,” she murmured, kissing his palm several times. “Reward me a lot, Master.”
She really dropped straight into an entirely different mentality. She might be just as broken as the rest of them.
More than you would ever wish to know.
Alex blinked at the sudden bit of information and filed it away for later. Though he was also mildly annoyed. Leah seemed to only drop by when he didn’t need her.
Looking to the side, he saw Valeria sitting in his chair.
Her ankles were resting on the desk itself, slunk low in the deep back seat, her nethers and hips thrust forward at him. She was literally dripping onto the floor from her slit. Her slickened fingers resting just above her pubic mound.
She was breathing heavily, and her eyes were partially closed. It was obvious she’d taken care of herself while watching him have Sylvia.
Valeria gave him a warm smile and waved with her other hand, winking at him.
She pointed at her privates, and then at him. Nodding her head slowly, she pointed back to her privates.
Alex rolled his eyes at Valeria. All the while Sylvia continued to kiss and nuzzle his hand, lost in whatever mental or emotional paradise he’d dropped her into.
Alex nodded in return to Valeria’s unspoken request.
Aren’t you a peach, Three?
I’ll take care of you a bit later, have no fear of that.
Chapter 7
Alex stared up at the inside of his bedroom’s ceiling, where he could just barely see the morning sunlight filtering through the curtains.
The previous day had been fairly rough for him. Though his fire plan had worked, the enemy’s losses hadn’t been enough to break them.
Though they were no longer charging at his infantry, they also hadn’t left.
By the time dinner came around, Quinn had come back and harangued him for ten minutes. Mostly about how he’d dared to tell her what to do in her own country.
She’d only ceased her attack because Nannie had stopped her with the threat of backhanding her.
The conversation after that had been stiff. Quinn apparently hadn’t realized just how deep she would be in bed with Alex. Literally and figuratively.
At some point in the discussion, she’d turned as pale as a ghost and argued no more with him.
The best Alex could figure was Leah must have stepped in and mentally poked her. Possibly because of some thought she was having or action she wanted to take.
Riley scooted closer in the bed—if that were possible—her head resting on his shoulder. She’d shown up early in the evening and watched Valeria get a workout with Alex.
Only to take her own turn at him a few hours later and then fall asleep in his bed.
Seems like she ended up the voyeur. Except she seems to really get excited when she watches me with other women.
Though she won’t do anything to herself while she watches. Unlike Valeria.
There was a very soft knock on the door, but it didn’t open.
Carefully, Alex disentangled himself from Riley and got out of bed. Covering her up, he made sure she wasn’t showing anything.
Then he moved away and stepped into a pair of pants nearby before going to the door.
“Yes?” he whispered through the door.
“Master, there’s information circling the markets. I bought a bit from those I trust. There are apparently light cavalry and mounted infantry coming our way,” Sylvia said.
Opening the door, Alex reached out, took Sylvia by the wrist, and gently pulled her into his bedroom.
She stepped in quickly, her eyes darting to the bed and then back to him.
There was no way she’d missed Riley sleeping there.
“Tell me all of it. I’m sure there was more?” Alex asked. Pointedly ignoring Sylvia’s presence, he dropped his pants and went to his standing dresser.
He opened it and began to sort through it for appropriate dress for a commander to receive soldiers. He’d had a number of outfits made that mimicked the Brit uniform but didn’t match it.
“Ah… Master, there was more, yes. It appears to be about five hundred of the light cavalry. They are all bearing a flag I don’t recognize. Though they are clearly from the empire,” Sylvia said.
Flipping a pair of pants and matching doublet over his shoulder, Alex pulled out a light tunic and underwear as well. Walking over to Sylvia, he stood in front of her, nude and waiting.
Her eyes immediately traveled from his head down to his feet and back up. Blinking once, the controlled person that was Sylvia Griffon reappeared.
“Moving with them is a host of mounted infantry as well. They appear to be equal in strength to the light cavalry, but they are moving under a different banner,” Sylvia finished, her eyes locked on his.
“Sounds like the mercenary companies we hired. Though their numbers are higher than I expected. Still, better than I could have hoped for. That’ll put our fighting force just shy of fifteen hundred,” Alex said.
Sylvia stood waiting, saying nothing more.
“Good work, Four. Not quite reward-worthy yet, though,” Alex said, nodding his head. “Keep working at it. Impress me. Win. Show me why you’re worth all that gold.
“I’ll reward you accordingly. If you can’t, then you’ll have to wait for another opportunity. And others will get your prize.”
As she nodded her head fractionally, Alex could see he’d said the right thing. Her need to achieve—to win, to surpass—was there in her eyes.
She always wants to win, even if the prize isn’t great. For her, it was always the quest to win and succeed more than anything, wasn’t it?
Met a number of young managers and directors like you. They only see the ladder.
Maybe she sees herself becoming the leader of the Numbered if she works hard enough.
“Now, unless you’d care to dress me, or you just want to watch, I need to get ready for our guests,” Alex said.
Sylvia left immediately, clearly wanting to dive straight into her problem.
The door didn’t close behind her, though. It remained open to admit Nannie into his bedroom, and then she shut it.
Her eyes went straight to his privates, then up to his face. Her face became as red as a tomato, her eyes drifting off to the side. Unable to look at him.
Maybe she really does have the heart of a maiden when it comes to me.
“Scaring the little girl?” Nannie asked, a false-looking smirk appearing on her face. Even as she couldn’t look at him.
“No, just offering her a deal,” Alex said equitably.
He treated them all differently. Some of them had overlap with others. Right now, he was planning on coupling Valeria and Sylvia against one another, over and over. Or with one another.
Both of them were noblewomen. Equally educated. Both driven in their own goals.
Nannie overlapped with Carla when it came to her public face, but now Alex figured she was closer to Riley in private.
Sparing her, Alex turned his back to her and set to work at getting dressed.
From the bed, Riley snored softly, sleeping away the morning. Her duties weren’t as constantly in need anymore.
If she wasn’t running her maids around, she was with Alex or Anna.
Or sleeping in.
Alex smiled despite himself. The beautiful little head maid had clearly made a role for herself.
Finishing up, Alex turned around and faced Nannie again.
Except she was right on top of him. Her eyes searching his, she leaned down and kissed him.
It was lingering, warm, tender, but it fit Nannie’s private mentality. She sought warmth in him whenever she could, even if it was fleeting.
Stepping away from him, Nannie coughed once and then checked her short swords at her hips. Lifting them from their sheaths and letting them fall back into place.
I wonder if that’s her changing gears.
“So, we gonna kick this mistake of a country over today? If we get lucky, we can kill enough of these horse fuckers and go home,” Nannie grumbled. “This whole place stinks of shit and it’s hot all the time.
“I feel like I’m drowning in my smallclothes.”
Reaching down between her thighs, Nannie pulled at something under her pants. Adjusting her panties, Alex supposed.
Never change, Nannie. Never change.
***
Standing at the top of the keep steps with Dan, Drew, Riley, and Nannie, Alex waited.
Two mercenary commanders along with Alanna Tilly, Amy Ridge, and Carla were walking down the main street.
Stepping right up to Alex, Alanna and Amy stopped and curtsied at the same time.
“My lord,” they said in unison.
“Baroness Ridge, Mistress Tilly,” Alex said, bowing in return. “It’s a pleasure to see you. I appreciate you coming as quickly as you did.”
The unspoken question was: where are your soldiers? The Numbered and those brought with them were there from the mercenary commanders.
Alanna smiled at him brightly, then turned to the side and indicated the two men.
They had a similar air to Dan and Drew. These soldiers weren’t offered the same contract his current commanders had been offered, though.
These men would be released from their service afterward. Alex didn’t have a need for more soldiers after this. Dan, Drew, and Max were capable men. Between those three, he knew his army would be outfitted to accommodate any need after this.
Especially after I tell them my expectations of that going forward. We must be ready to combat any type of situation.
“May I present Commander Arthur and his light lancers,” Alanna said, indicating the shorter of the two.
He was a skinny, wiry looking man. With a hook nose, black hair, and brown eyes. He was definitely not what Alex would have expected of a cavalry commander.
He briefly wondered if the man would be more suited behind a bow than on a horse.
“Sire,” Arthur said, holding out a hand to Alex.
Immediately taking the man’s hand in his own, Alex gave it a few firm pumps. “Arthur, good to have you.”
“And this is Matthew,” Alanna said, pointing to the second man.
He was squat, thick, and looked as if he were made of muscle. Not a bit of hair on his head, except for his eyebrows. Cold blue eyes stared at Alex.
Stepping forward, he offered his hand to Alex.
Taking it, Alex nodded to the man.
“Matthew, a pleasure. Now, would you all care to follow me inside? I have a light breakfast prepared for you, and we can discuss the situation and where we’re going next,” Alex said.
Riley moved to the doors of the keep, which were held open for her, and inclined her head to everyone, lifting a hand toward the interior.
Amy said nothing, just bobbed her head and went ahead. Followed by Matthew and Arthur.
Alanna lingered and casually walked up to Alex.
“Count, I would ask you for some time after this. I would like to discuss some private affairs in relation to our county,” she said formally.
Uh huh. Sure you do.
“Of course, Mistress Tilly. I’ll make time for you,” Alex said.
Alanna smiled and wandered off toward the keep.
“I’m glad to see you, Master,” Carla said, stepping up to him with a smirk.
Glancing up at the taller bodyguard, Alex gave her a grin.
“Honestly… I missed you too, Two,” he said.
Carla blinked twice, her smirk frozen in place on her face. Slowly, it became a smile, and she let out a slow breath.
“I was a bit worried,” she said suddenly. “There was a massive black column of smoke out to the west and southwest. I thought it was you and this city.”
“Ha… no. That’s something I had to resort to, though. Come on, we can talk more with everyone,” Alex said, throwing a thumb toward the keep.
“Yeah,” Carla said, then looked to Nannie. “Good work, Five.”
Nannie snorted and shrugged her shoulders. Then she held out her arm to Carla. “He’s not so bad. Glad to see you, Two.”
The shock that flickered over Carla’s face was gone in an instant. Then she walked over to Nannie and took her forearm in her own.
“Likewise,” Carla said.
Right.
They’re bonding. Good. Good.
Things are moving along so well with them all.
We’ve snapped off all their old allegiances, removed their old loyalties, and they’re starting to come together as a group.
My Numbered.
“Should I take you both to bed tonight? We could have some fun. I bet you two would look pretty great on top of each other.
“Laid out on a bed in front of me? I’m sure I wouldn’t be able to decide who to take first,” Alex offered, just to see how Nannie would react.
He was wondering how much of a change was going on in her. She seemed to still be Nannie, just with a very deep and wide soft spot for him.
Nannie shook her head and rolled her eyes.
“I’m not in on eatin’ a boxed lunch, Master,” Nannie said, letting Carla’s arm go. “No matter how hot Two is.
“Come on, idiot. Or that Tilly girl will come lookin’.”
Nannie turned and started heading into the keep.
“Huh,” Carla said, standing there with Alex. “I take it you started bedding her?”
“Yep,” Alex said.
“She… mellowed out. A lot.”
“I’m good at what I do.”
Carla laughed softly at that, then surprisingly slapped him on the ass.
“That you are, and god damn am I horny for it. Wasn’t kidding when I said I missed you.
“You’re mine tonight, even if I have to beat the others to death.
“I’ll use my mouth for a while at first if you promise to go slow with me and take your time. I need your attention, Master,” Carla said, her hand still resting on his rear end.
Alex wasn’t quite sure how to respond. He was well aware Carla had mostly figured him out. Her and Valeria both.
He hadn’t expected her to just move straight into a relationship phase with him after being separated, however.
Though to be fair, he hadn’t really been apart from Carla for the better part of something like three months.
“Come on, or they really will come looking,” she said, pushing on Alex’s rear end toward the keep.
But she didn’t let go of it, either.
***
“And that’s where we are,” Alex said, standing up with a shrug. He’d spent the last two hours going over everything in detail. Tedious, mind-numbing, boring detail. He despised meetings like this. They always felt like a waste of time.
“To reiterate the more salient points… Dan’s cavalry is off creating a firebreak by stamping the grass flat with their horses. It’s being done in parallel to the fire as it sweeps through the plains,” Alex said.
Queen Quinn looked angry as ever whenever the fire was brought up. She still hadn’t forgiven him for it. Especially since the plains were still on fire.
“The infantry are working on digging and building earthen works as described by the engineers,” Alex continued. “The enemy has something akin to nine thousand soldiers, give or take. Though ninety percent of that are conscripts without gear.
“We’ve cornered the markets on water and horse feed. This isn’t exactly a bread basket of land, so I do hope you heeded my contract warning to bring at least six months of supplies in a wagon train.”
“Sire, I arranged for the Tilly, Ridge, and Brit soldiers to all move together with the supply trains in two-month increments,” Alanna said. “They’re all based out of South Ridge and moving from there. I asked Anna to remain in Brit, and for Aunt Mary to be moved to South Ridge to oversee the work there. Both have agreed and done so.”
Hm.
That’s actually significantly better than what we’d planned previously, to be honest.
