“The Crown, the cities, merchants, and others buys the product from the farmers and distribute it to other locations. Major cities like Mavvus, Leethon, Lafaust, and the army consume a lot of it. They all have buyers come in who take this stuff out. The king’s army is paid by the taxing account setup from customs. Because of the tax, we are able to provide for an army and safe cities without the need to expand to fund it. The crown also owns a majority of Mavvus, and several other towns like Tilin. The rent is necessary in those places for upkeep, but it is low. The sales tax on trade is our real revenue producer. We also receive some money from new charters of businesses started and new trade ships but again those are low and mostly pay for the navy.” Marcos said. “I will add that, for large projects such as stonework or shipbuilding we do use guilds, but not as freely. We need their cooperation to build the large sailing ships. They can help and harm an economy. Everyone wants money prince. If they charge too much, not many will be built. It’s best to let the one making it, and the one buying it, decide how much is too much for something.”
They pulled through a city manor in the municipal area. The mansion had a fenced yard only big enough for the carriage to bring them around to the door. Around this trip, Ein had been quiet as usual.
“How are things?” He asked her as the prince scooted past them to stand.
“He is unreasonable, and seems to take pleasure in being useless and problematic. He thought to bully me but we are well past that now.” She said looking at him shyly.
They stood to step down and the door of the regal building was opened inward by a stout grey maid. Stepping in to the open foyer, they were taken to rooms to relax. The prince declined loudly and he went directly to await supper in the dining room.
Marcos was seated in the upper level library with Princess Nossin who was asleep in a high backed armchair. Kaarthen was on the settee with Rinis but she seemed distant staring of into space. Mara was playing a board game of Queen’s crux against Jilleta. She seemed to be beating her.
He watched and it was an interesting game. More so than other games, Queen’s crux is strategic game where pieces are lost and regained quite easily. In Menthino, it is the national game. Both seemed to be masters, and they chased each other around the board in a mutual attack strategy. Marcos was quite impressed; he’d seen old men play the game for hours with only half a dozen moves between them. These two played in quick turns and altered styles frequently.
They were summoned for supper before either player gained any kind of advantage.
Marcos looked up shocked. “Wow, that was amazing you two did that for a whole hour and I didn’t even notice as I stood here.” Marcos said genuinely impressed. He had been genuinely sucked into the drama and actions of the board game and even felt a energetic buzz from it. It almost made him want to play despite the fact he wasn’t very good.
“Well she learned earlier with Princess Nossin. Perhaps it was beginner’s luck.” Said Kaarthen coming awake.
They moved to the dining room as Ein and the prince departed. No one said anything to the other party.
They were seated with Princess Nossin at the head with Marcos and Kaarthen at her right and left. Mara sat next to Marcos and Rinis was seated next to Kaarthen. Jilleta, Princess Nossin’s Hjordis stood behind as she ate.
“How was the day?” Kaarthen asked. They had just finished a soup course. It was obvious the kitchen was in disarray after the prince was allowed to compress and collapse the chief’s schedule.
“Boring enough to need a drink for a distraction. Speaking of which, we’ll be heading for Sellis when we return. We may be fighting our way out or bringing peace to the region so be prepared.”
“Will my angels be alright?” Kaarthen asked reaching for Rinis.
“Why wouldn’t they be?” Marcos replied confused. He realized that they did not have immortal eyes. They were no longer vampire nor exactly succubae but it didn’t say what or any limitations they may have. They had gotten stronger, but Marcos thought perhaps that was from the milk Kaarthen pushed on everyone. “Would they be?”
“They will not have trouble.” Princess Nossin said looking down the middle of the table and out the window.
Marcos looked at Kaarthen blankly. “See? The Princess always knows.” Kaarthen stared at her before looking back.
Kaarthen considered the question further of what could hurt the girls, but the Goddess occupying a corner of her mind seemed deliberately vague with answering. Kaarthen understood that nothing they were likely to face could hurt them but that didn’t answer what actually could.
The meal was excellent. They were served veal over rice and a tangy gravy. The group went upstairs to the parlor and met with the appeased Prince Carthin. He tried to show graciousness and attempted repeatedly to speak with his peer Princess Nossin. She let his conversations drop and left inane questions unanswered, as she watched Marcos and Kaarthen stand at the edge of the room. The prince persisted and she finally turned to him and missed when her subject disappeared with Kaarthen into their room.
“You’ll go crazy if you don’t get better prince. Kaarthen will come for your head then.” She said with uncharacteristic venomous cruelty, and immediately stood and walked off to her room.
Marcos and Kaarthen went to be alone privately in their room. As he closed and locked the door, he turned and found her nearly naked already. She climbed sinuously onto the bed. Her ass raised and her wet hairless holes peaked out invitingly. She slid flat on her stomach and looked over her shoulder at him from the soft mattress. The bed had a canopy and seemed an elegant backdrop for the beauty of her divinely feminine frame. The tower’s training and rich food helped her keep her curves and muscles but softened her with a pleasant soft layer. She looked at the moment not as a barbarian Amazon from the wilds but like a six and a half foot tall, impossibly curvy, pale as death, seductress. Her silvery white hair rolled over a shoulder and her catty pupils danced merrily in their voids. Her curved ass and thick muscled thighs contrasted well with her narrow waist and wide back. Marcos undressed in a trance staring at her. She had achieved synergy with her divine occupant and synchronized to radiate feminine sexuality as she writhed on the bed. His fantasies and impulses danced in her minds eye and she danced with them. Her tumbling spread her scent around the room and messed up the bed to create a love nest of mussed bed clothing and pillows that would envelop them. Her movements enthralled him more and more as she showed more and more of herself to him. Marcos stumbled as he undressed and he stepped out of his pants revealing his hardness. Finally unclothed, he straightened and walked to the bed.
Kaarthen lay pointed away on her stomach and felt his hard cock slid between her feet as he climbed over her. It jumped and pulsed as it slid up her calves. It wetly slid up her thighs and when it reached her pubic gap it thrust in. She felt how his drooling cock prodded for entrance into her vault. The combined moisture accelerated the process as they slipped along each other. The skin of her body was clammy with the fragrant scents of her pheromones as Marcos dragged himself over her and sank over her like a second skin. Kaarthen’s whole world was on the small patches of their touching skin. She closed her eyes and smiled inwardly as her hips rose and writhed slowly helping his quest.