An Ideal Industrious Life

[Anon̦̦]

An Ideal Industrious Life

Summoned by a beautiful Queen to a different world, you are asked to marry and make a child with her. What will you do?

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Archive for the quest on Fiction.live

 

[Anon̦̦]

"I welcome you, my future husband," you hear someone say kindly, "I must offer you my apologies for my impolite behavior of bringing you here, into this world, into this palace of mine without any notice."

Looking around as you orient yourself after you fell, you are awestruck.

You are in a dimly bright courtyard, surrounded by massive pillars. The walls and the pillars are decorated with beautiful paintings and bright colors. Above you, where the ceiling should be, there is an enormous and beautiful carpet blocking the direct sunlight.

And surrounding you, men wearing some kind of old leather armor with small plates of metal stare at you, spears in their hands. Their uniform is decorated with blue tones, accentuating the bronze metal.

But the thing that catches your attention the most is the captivating beautiful woman that spoke to you with a sweet smile.



After a couple of seconds, all you manage to utter is a simple: "Huh?"

You are Christopher Gonzalez, a Combat Engineer. You attempted to start your studies as a Civil Engineer, but with time, you noticed that the loans would grow too big. After talking with your parents you decided to join the Military looking for a brighter future.

You look around in confusion.

Last you remember, you parked your jeep and went shopping. In your hands, there is a case of beer and a couple of bags. One of the bags is filled with miscellaneous snacks, and the other with some assorted cleaning supplies.

"So," you say calmly as you look once more at your surroundings, "I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore,"

You are apparently ignored, as one of the armored men promptly looks at the woman and states, "Your Highness, we do not have much time. The summoning succeeded, so you should start explaining as soon as possible."

"I know," she simply replies before looking back at you. "And you certainly aren't in Kansas, my future husband. As I certainly know that you have no idea why you are here, may I explain the chain of events that lead to your arrival?"

The heat is strong, but it just feels like Fort Hood. Swiping some of your sweat, you simply nod, not really sure of what else to do. Not like you have much of a choice, especially since you are surrounded by some kind soldiers.

The woman smiles at you, "Then, we should move away from this dim place. Would you follow me so that we talk at our leisure?"

She turns around, her brilliant red hair catching your attention as she starts to walk.

Yet suddenly, one of the soldiers gets in your way. "Sir, if you don't mind we shall store your belongings for you," he states. It does not sound like a request to your ears.

"Uhm," you state out loud as you think about your situation. "Ok?"

You set your things down, but after a second think about it. "I hope you don't mind if I take some snacks and a pair of drinks, though."

Quickly taking a pair of beers from the case, and a bag of Doritos, you proceed to walk towards the woman without looking back.

As you walk you notice that the building seems to have been made out of bare rock. In a way it is majestic, it reminds you of the ancient marvels of the past and you can't help but think how long it would have taken to build it.

Curved arches, long hallways, and beautifully carved and painted stone walls catch your eyes. You notice that the place seems eerily vacant tough, only noticing a handful of young girls in short, white, and simple linen dresses walking around.

In fact, two of them greet you when you reach a broad room in which the bright sun rays of the afternoon shone.

And then you certainly can't help but look at the woman. She is slightly smaller than you, surprisingly, and is wearing some kind of reddish-purple dress. She is wearing a small golden crown and jewelry of all kinds.

One thing that definitely catches your attention is that light behind her makes the dress seem almost translucent, making you turn your gaze away. Carpets surround you, from the floor all the way to the walls and the ceiling. And in the middle, there is a wooden table and a pair of long leather couches.

"Sit down, please." she says sweetly.

Prompted by the woman, you do so. And just after you, she sits down in front of you. You find it a little disconcerting when one of the women, probably servants of some kind, start fanning you and Aura with an enormous feathered contraption.

"Let us start with a self-introduction. My name is Aura Carpa. I want you to call me Aura."

You nod, "First Lieutenant Christopher Gonzalez at your service."

"Lieutenant?" she says slowly as she looks at you in confusion. The other maid then bringing in a couple of goblets, a pitcher, along with some kind of dried fruits in a tray.

"My rank," you say as you take your pocket multi-tool and open both beers. You warily look at the beverages they brought you, and to be honest, you don't really trust them, "Now, I believe that this will be a long talk. So would you mind for one of my own drinks? There is more where that came from."

"Oh my," she says weakly, and after a second takes hold of the bottle you offered her. "I shall accept your generosity. And if you don't mind, then, may I call you Christopher?"

"That is fine," you answer back as you open the bag of Doritos. She stares at you with confusion until you eat a few and offer her some.

"Want some?"

"Thank you, Christopher..." she says in negative as a hesitant smile appears on her face, "Well then, I shall explain your situation. And the first thing is that should it go against your will, I can make everything like before and send you back to your homeland. That I promise you as a Queen."

You nod, a little relieved, to be honest.

"So could you please listen to my whole story in silence?"

"Okay," you reply as you take a drink of your beer. Her expression now serious, giving you a weird feeling.

And on your answer, she gave out a sigh of relief, and after a deep breath started to talk.

"Thank you. So let me start by explaining where we are. We are in the Carpa Kingdom, which is located in the west of the Landlion continent— also known as the 'South Continent'." making a motion with sweeping motion her hand, she continues, "And this is the palace of the Kingdom, in the Capital of Carpa. Yet I'm sure that all these names do not mean anything to you."

You nod, perfectly aware that you have no idea what is going on.

She smiles at you gently, "And that is because this is a different world from the one you were born and lived in. A so-called 'Parallel Universe'."

You tilt your head as you try to wrap your mind around the idea. It's not like you don't know what that means. But rather, wonder how it even happened.

Aura starts trying to explain to you about the concept of Parallel Universes and some of the basics about it.

"Aura, excuse me," you interrupt her, "but I know perfectly what you are talking about."

She blinks and stares at you.

Like, it seems that she expected you to be an uncultured guy or something. It's not like you had reasons to doubt her. Either you were on another world, or some very weird shit is happening. "Anyway, I know how this goes. You summon me and need me for some weird quest, you know, kill some dragon, save a damsel, lead an army, or something only I can do, right?"

"Uhm, well," she starts as a small blush appears on her face.

"So, what is it?"

Aura smiled sweetly after a moment and shook her head, "I don't have the slightest intention to put you in danger."

Shaking her head, she looks out to the window. "This region has been engulfed in a long war for generations, but it has relatively calmed down, and I hope with all my being that it continues to do so. All I want to ask you is one thing: To become my spouse."

You tilt your head as you take another drink from your beer, "It's not like I wouldn't mind marrying a cute gal like you, but, how did I get picked?"

At that, the queen takes a deep breath, and after looking at the bottle of beer you gave her, she takes a small drink.

She appears to like it from what you observe, taking a moment to look at the bottle itself before looking back at you. "War always carries a price. While fortunately our country managed to be on the winning side in this war, the price was high.

"We lost citizens, nobles, and the royal family died out, except for me. Thankfully there is hope for the country to regain its strength, but the problem is the royal family.

"With me as the last member of the royal family, our bloodline could end anytime, so you could call my marriage an absolute duty.

However, the 'Carpa' lineage carries in their bloodline the unique ability to use 'Space-time' magic. Thus not just anyone will do for a marriage partner. To bequeath the magic onto the next generation, a companion that inherited the same Carpa blood would be most desirable."

"Missy, I'm sure I would have noticed if I was able to teleport around the place," you say with a small snort. "Are you sure that you picked the right guy?"

"Oh, there is no doubt about that," is her simple reply as a small smile appears on her face. "I only asked for one thing of the summoning, and that was for a man that carried the Carpa Blood. For you see, I knew that around five generations ago one of our ancestors left this world to be able to marry the one they loved."

"Huh?"

"You inherited the blood of the Carpa family."

"Who would have thought, so I'm a half-alien wizard?" you mutter to yourself as you look at your beer with some caution.

"So, you are a very beautiful, and gorgeous kind woman," you say slowly as you put down your beer. "I'm not opposed to helping you in that regard, but what would I do after securing your line to say?"

The queen takes another small sip of the beer you brought her before she continues talking. "There are actually no arrangements for that."

"What do you mean?"

"I am the 32nd person to ascend the throne in our country, but I am only the third woman to do so in the history of Carpa." She states to the point, "In other words, you would be the first Prince consort in the story of our kingdom."

And as she spoke, you heard the certainty in her words that you would become King. It was cute.

"That still doesn't tell me what I would do."

And at that, you noticed the queen hesitate a little. "Well, as you might have deduced our society is patriarchic. The head of the family is supposed to always be a man too. It is a women's virtue to be compliant.

"I promise that once we marry, I will do everything in my might to meet your wishes, whatever it might be"

You raise an eyebrow. It sounds very tempting, but at the same time, she didn't answer your question.

"At any rate," she suddenly continues, "I plan to return you to your world. Whether you accept my invitation, or not. After all, I am sure that you have people you want to say farewell to and knots to tie.

"Alas, the use of the summoning magic depends on the position of the stars so I cannot use it freely. Much to our luck, we have until tomorrow and then once again in about a month."

You nod, and though you want to bring up about your duties, you decided to follow her train of thoughts and ask, "And guessing by the fact that I brought what I was carrying with me, is it possible for me to bring other things?"

Aura things about it for a second, a cute expression on her face as she looks at nowhere. "Technically there are ways... I must make sure, but if I'm not wrong you should be able to bring some of your possessions."

You take a deep breath as you lean back into the couch. If you could trust all of Aura's story then this would be the dream of many men. A complaint, rich wife. Willing to help you fulfill all your desires.

Yet things sound too perfect.

You take a deep breath and look at Aura's eyes. They are red, you have never seen such a shade in a person, yet they are so beautiful and full of determination.

"So, given the way you have to avoid stating my role and the fact that this country is a patriarchy I understand you don't really want a foreigner to basically become king."

"Chri—" she starts, but you raise a hand.

"Let me finish, please. I want both of us to understand the situation and be on the same page. You don't want me to be king, I get that much. But if I had to guess, the other options would be worse for you."

Aura looks at you for a few seconds and finally sighs, leaning back into the couch and taking another drink of her beer.

"You are a lot more clever than I expected," she says as she seems to think what to say, motioning the servants from the room with a gesture of her hands to leave.

After a moment, she stated: "There are two other candidates that I could marry to, one is a General who would no doubt use his position as prince consort to expand his power without care of the crown, the other is a puppet to his parents who would do everything in their hand to undermine my power."

Looking at you seriously, she continues. "If I marry them, there will be another civil war. And I can't have that on my hands."

You take a deep breath as you massage your temples. "Aura, be honest with me. What are things actually like here?" you ask seriously.

And as you say that, you can almost feel the weigh on Aura's shoulder.

"Things... are becoming better," she starts as she rises from the couch and walks to look out the window, "In the last 5 years we have recovered at least half of the military strength we lost during the war, the salt trade is not stopping, and the people aren't starving.

"Things aren't perfect, but I won't lie to you. They could be a lot better. There are tensions with our neighbors, and while there is no war looming on the horizon, there is always the chance we could see another war in a couple of decades."

Looking back at you, she smiles gently. "But worry not, for I will do everything in my power to make our lives happy and prosperous and better the kingdom. The only thing I ask of you is to let me be the Queen. "

You nod slowly as you try to process everything she has said. "I need to think about this."

"I understand," she states without hesitation, "But for now, why don't we move to some lighter topics and go for dinner?"

You proceed to have dinner with them, a group of servants tending to your every need. It catches your attention that all of them are female, and no guards have been seen since you arrived here.

The dinner is some sort steak with pieces of fruit and honey, and bread. It would definitely do with some flavor, maybe cinnamon and caramelized onions?

The fruits were the stranger things, tough. As you had never tasted anything like them before. One of them reminded you of the flavor of a pineapple-kiwi smoothie, milk and everything. The other of orange and strawberry mixed with an extra sour touch.

The food wasn't exactly bad, but you had never tasted food like it before. The texture of the meat was just weird. You could definitely get used to it, though.

The plates appeared to be made of silver, but there appeared to be no actual utensils for eating. Looking at the others, you decided to do as Romans do, following their example and eating with just a knife and bread.

The only forks and spoons you saw being used to serve the food.

And as you talked with aura, you started to slowly understand a little bit more of her and the local culture. She didn't give out much information, in the end, her answers always veiled in the right way to say enough, but never more than needed.

After dinner, you are taken by a couple of maids towards your room. One of them is carrying a torch.

The architecture never ceasing to amaze you, as you watch inner patios, statues, and art in every single inch of the place.

A gilded door of gold and blue made way to your room. You didn't really notice much of it as you really wanted to finally rest. The servants strangely skittish of your presence remind you that they are there for your every need, and will be right outside the door all night.

As night falls, and you see an alien moon in the sky, you realize that this is actually happening. And as you close your eyes, you can't help but think that, truly, you were very far away from Kansas.

The next day the Queen greets you with a smile. Breakfast is light, and she informs you of a way to be able to return with some of your things.

A magic carpet.

If you agree to marry the queen, exactly 30 days after you are returned to Earth you will be summoned back to the palace.

On that day you only need to be on top of the carpet (and bleed a couple of drops on it), to be summoned back with everything on top of it.

You think about it. And in the end, can only come to one conclusion. And that is that you would regret it for the rest of your life if you said no.

"I will marry you," you say without hesitation out of the sudden, and in that single moment, the smile on the Queen's face brightens your day. And you can't help but think that she will be your wife.

Yet as you return to Earth, a beautiful and intricate carpet in your arms and hope for a brighter futures filling you, all you can think is in how much shit you will be with your Captain.

 

[Anon̦̦]

You almost run back to your Jeep, and when you finally do so hurry back to your apartment in haste.

You have your priorities, you know what to do.

Yet as you arrive at your place, all you can think is what you got yourself into. You are just a Combat Engineer, not really anyone special! After your first deployment, you've been more time in the USA than abroad to boot!

Hearts and minds and all that jazz.

And as you unfurl part of the carpet on your living room, you can't help but simply admit. It's going to happen. You are going to be summoned back, and now it's only your duty to at least bring things to help you and your kingdom.

And damn how weird does that sounds.

The first thing you do is start downloading Wikipedia into your laptop and cell phone. You can think later of everything else.

But right now, you have once duty.

And that is to get discharged from the military. The thing is that you can't really think a way to do it. Normal means would take too long, and just running away would also be quite the hassle if you plan to try to acquire all the materials you need for your trip.

Maybe you could request some leave and send a card or something just before you are gone? Your CO does owe you a small favor...

You decided that you are going to try to get your CO to give you an extended leave. But for that, you need an excuse.

You take a deep breath, holding your phone as if it was an explosive before making the call.

Your CO is not happy.

He chews you out for a couple of minutes before you even have time to explain yourself, but in the end, you finally say it.

"Sir, a family matter came up. It's an emergency and I require extended leave for a month."

He replies to you with some sympathy, not doubting your words. It's not like has reasons anyway, you are a responsible and dependable man.

"Yes, sir. I don't mind if it's unpaid leave."

That obviously would come up, but it's not really that important now, is it?

"Yes, sir. I shall fill the paper work."

You take a deep breath of relief as your CO agrees and even tells you to take care of the Issue and don't worry about coming back. Though you will make sure to mail the forms as soon as possible.

You have a small laugh as you think about it, "Going to marry a queen from another world, coming back after uplifting their civilization." more than likely won't be a good reason.

Still, you can't help feel excited as you look around your room. It's time to plan.

It's time to buy.

Being a part of the military, most of your expenses are taken care of. Basically, you only get to pay for your gas. So it's with no trouble that you start buying everything you can think off.

Solar chargers, a hydroelectric generator, a set of encyclopedias. Hell, you even manage to get a couple of extra rugged military laptops just in case!

The one thing that you don't forget either is the internet.

You get a cheap RAID set and buy some hard drives in bulk. Storing as much information as possible as you can download. Music, videos, video games, books, everything you can get your hands on. And making an extra copy of them.

Your trusty guns aren't forgotten either. And you can't help but thanks the 2nd amendment as you carry back to your apartment a couple of boxes of bullets without any problems.

It may be overkill for personal protection, but better safe than sorry.

Writing utensils, multi-tools, a couple of survival kits just in case, some actual tools for yourself. Even some medical textbooks and a couple of microscopes!

From what you saw when you were on Aura's kingdom, they reminded you of Ancient Egypt. You were going to become a true Connecticut Yankee, but with the power of the King.

You will need to think more about getting plates, tools, and machinery later. After all, those things are expensive and you aren't that rich.

But right now a whole week and a half have passed, and you are suddenly hit with a realization as your mother calls you.

You are leaving your parents behind.

You aren't sure if you can bring yourself to see them, you talk with them over the phone for a small while. Yet you are unable to say goodbye.

You think about it... and decided that sending a video message would be the best. You can schedule it to be sent after you leave.

In the end, there is not much you can say.

You prepare a video, and can't help but almost fall to tears as you do so. You apologize for everything they'll have to deal with because of you.

You tell them that leaving was something you had to do, that you'd feel terrible about it if you didn't, but that you love them dearly and hope will see them again one day.

The recording is set to be sent the day after you leave.

It takes you a while to compose yourself, but after you do so, you look at your apartment with new eyes.

You have committed to it, so you will do everything you can to do this right. The rug by itself is the size of your small living room. And you won't need any of your furniture or belongings anymore.

You rent a u-haul truck and sell all your furniture and collectibles. You are very surprised to get so much money!

You have a week and a half to finish your affairs in this world and buy what you need. You don't really have many distractions anymore.

You... are surprised by how much you were able to get. But you had your priorities straight. The first thing you decided to get were seeds, seeds, and more seeds.

Modern crops have been designed through thousand of years to be what they are. To get more yields, to grow more often.

After looking on the internet and buying several crates of seed banks, including medicinal seeds. You went to buy from a bulk-sale vendor several sacks of crops along instructions to farm them. Making sure that they would be compatible with crop rotation, and would be able to produce more seeds.

You also got a case of potato sprouts.

And thankfully, you figured that you could keep a bunch of seeds in your refrigerator and they could survive until it breaks if not longer.

And that reminded you! You actually sold your old refrigerator and got an industrial heavy-duty one along with a matching freezer!

After that, you thought about the reason you would go to the other world. About... your wife.

And if you were going to do this, you would do it right.

You wasted almost all of what you got selling your furniture to get a nice pair of rings. And after that bought an Officer's Sabre for your dress uniform.

There were a lot of purchases after that.

One thing that actually stood out about the other world was their utter lack of glass. So you decided to gamble and brought several cases of marbles from Amazon.

Those were a lot of marbles. Like, how would you resist buying five hundred transparent glass marbles at fourteen bucks? Or that pack of two hundred and sixty assorted ones at eight dollars?

... You may have gone a little overboard. Especially when you noticed once the literal box-full of marbles arrived that you accidentally ordered five pounds of flat transparent pebbles.

Still, after that, you went and bought some things that, while not essential, might help you. Gunsmithing tools, a small bullet press. A couple crates of booze and a brewing kit were also bought!

In the end, after you had everything that you thought you might need, you watched at your bank account.

You had maybe just enough money...

Going to your local hardware store, you got a bunch of precision measuring tools. And then went to look at the machine tools.

They are expensive.

And big.

You definitely can't afford a high-caliber rifle if you want to get machine tools. And you aren't even sure if you can get more than a lathe to fit along with everything else.

In the end, you decided to buy the machine tools, and after one of the employees recommended you a store on clearance you went there with glee.

You were like a kid in a toy store.

Mitter Saws, Reciprocating saws, hammer drills, grinders and buffers, a lathe, a bench grinder, a precision bench top mini lathe, a benchtop mill/ drill, a vertical milling machine, drills, and other assorted tools you found in clearance and a literal box of extra drill bits, saws, and parts.

You got everything.

You aren't even sure how the fuck you will fit it all on the carpet. But goddammit if you won't try.

Sadly, your dream of having a Barret won't come true after all the money you spent. But you believe that it was worth it.

It's not like you would ever need such a big caliber after all, right?

Your trusty guns and your M4 will have to do.

Still, as the day to leave approach, you somehow manage to fit every single thing you bought on top of the carpet. A lot of duck tape might have been involved.

There is just one more day before you go. You don't believe you can fit anything else on top of the carpet, and you still have one issue to deal with.

The flat is rented, but your Jeep is yours.

You leave it to your parents in the will.

...

You aren't sure when Aura will summon you, but it's today.

You are dressed in your semi-formal uniform, sitting on top a few boxes that were on the carpet. You look through the window for a few moments, thinking about your future. The sun is rising.

And as you place your knife against your palm, you suddenly you decide to make a will. Just a simple card to put on your counter.

"Mom, Dad. I love you.

I loved my job, I loved our house and our family, and this world is so full of memories. Yet I can't stay here. I hope you forgive me for all the issues I will create for everyone.

Tonight I'm leaving this world, hopefully, to have a better and most fulfilling future.

Because of that, I wish that all my personal effects be given to my family.

Love, Christopher."

After you write it, you stare at it for a couple of moments. It's not exactly what you meant to write. But with hope, it will give them closure.

Yet you can't help but think about it.

You can't help but think about your mother, your father. Your whole family.

And that is why you pounce away from the carpet and run towards your room. Everything that you didn't want to sell was packed neatly, ready for whoever came to pick them up.

It takes you a little while to find the box you want. With care, you pick up the photo frames of your family and carry them back with you.

You run back to the carpet, almost jumping on top of the pile of goods as your heart races. She could summon you at any moment after all!

As you get back in place and slash your palm open, you sigh in relief.

You weren't sure how much blood was needed. But just to make sure, especially since you certainly don't expect Aura to have thought how much things you wanted to bring, you make sure to soak the only accessible spot of the carpet with as much of your blood as possible.

You remember her saying that it carried your magic after all, and more is better, right?

Still, as you cover your hand with gauze and antiseptic and wait. Nothing happens.

So you wait.

And wait.

You pick up your phone and start playing some games.

You aren't sure how much time has happened as you suddenly feel it.

And with a lurch, you are suddenly sucked out of reality into a swirling vortex.

Everything spins as you are nowhere, yet everywhere. The carpet and all your belongings beneath you shaking vigorously. You try to scream, but no sounds come out.

Infinite moments pass in the nothingness before the world suddenly returns to the existence and you are suddenly launched out of your position and into a nearby wall.

You have enough awareness to notice that your belongings hit the ground with enough force that you heard some of the beer bottles shatter. Hopefully, nothing important broke.

That is when you heard the shout of "Call a Medic!", the running of men and women, and you suddenly see the Queen as she appears by your side and grabs your hand.

"Christopher, don't you dare to go to sleep," she says with worry, "Look at me, come on."

Your eyes dart to her, and you can't help but think that you may have brought a little too much, but as you glance and look at the pile of things there is the thought of "It was worth it."

You would kill for an Ibuprofen tough.

 

[Anon̦̦]

Earthly Enigma
By an Anonymous Anon.

Christopher Gonzales was missing, and the base was being turned upside down to look for him. According to surveillance, he had not left the base let alone his residence, and his vehicle was in its assigned parking space far away from anything that could be considered a way off the base. However, his apartment was empty of everything save the military's furniture, a note claiming to be a will that left his Jeep to his parents, and a computer which had been rigged to send a tearful message to his parents that he was leaving.

When Christopher's room was opened up, his commanding officer was torn between being relieved that Christopher had not hung himself and apoplectic that the little shit was AWOL. Agents from the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command were called for and began their attempt to figure out what had happened. What started out as a routine AWOL or missing person case quickly became a mystery and ballooned in size as more questions than answers cropped up. Christopher's overly-kind-but-struggling single lady neighbor in the flat next door whose father died in a recent training accident and was being forced to move off base informed investigators that Christopher had shipped and received a lot of packages leading up to his disappearance before one day he went into his flat and did not come out.

At first, she had not thought anything of it, but after a few days of not seeing him, she began to fear the worst when he failed to answer his door, so she got someone to open it up for her.

The agents interviewing Christopher's parents had hit a dead end. They were bewildered, confused, and distraught. It probably would have been easier for them if they had been told their son was dead since at least then there would be closure. The team trying to figure out how he got off the base was similarly stumped and declared that it was either an inside job with everyone colluding to falsify records, reports, and surveillance or magic. The group going over his purchases were extremely confused. Christopher had bought a massive amount of tools, survival equipment, seeds, books, marbles, and an eclectic mix of other things. Then, they learned he got ahold of a number of laptops and enough hard drives to contain all the secure information on the base and then some.

Panic set in. Magic was no longer a reasonable explanation of how he managed to vanish, and the CID began to go everything with a fine-tooth comb. All the witnesses were re-questioned, all the surveillance videos were examined for tampering, everyone on duty was cross-examined, and every inch of the base was examined for secret escape routes or holes in the security.

This was when the group in charge of computers looked at Christopher's internet history. There was porn – and he had downloaded plenty of it over the years, but the past month was bizarre. To begin with, he downloaded an entire copy of Wikipedia. He had also somehow found a copy of Microsoft Encarta. Christopher had found a digital book which was an introduction to brewing, distillation, and creating other forms of alcohol. There were blueprints of machines – not classified military machines but machines that helped start the agricultural and industrial revolutions. There was an in depth analysis of the Roman Empire with everything from how they built bath houses and aqueducts to how they rose to power and then fell. There were a few online medical databases copied like how Wikipedia was along with material databases, do it yourself websites, websites that detailed the technical aspects of how people in history did things with examples provided by re-enactors, and so forth.

Christopher also acquired a vast amount of entertainment media. He had copied the Project Gutenberg database and all the e-books found there along with the Karma Sutra, plenty of porn, a number of more modern books that ranged from Tolkien to Heinlein to Christie to Clancy to Weber along with a number of 'so you want to write a novel' type books. Then there were the movies, television shows, and games. Christopher's father had set up a Plex account and invested in a personal server into which he poured every DVD and Blu-ray he had ever bought. Christopher had copied. There were over six hundred movies and three hundred seasons worth of shows, and then there were the things he bought. There weren't as many games, but there was still a large number of them.

It was not until they discovered a book among his purchases – both hard copy and electronic – that was about uplifting a civilization from the dark ages to around WW II era technology was a real pattern discovered. Even then, the CID was left befuddled and scratching its collective head as to what actually happened to Lieutenant Christopher Gonzales. The evidence was cataloged, tallied, and stored, but the case to find him was left open long after it went cold.

Meanwhile, Christopher's parents decided to look up their genealogy at their son's request and discovered an odd man in their family tree from just over a century ago who had claimed to be from somewhere called Carpa…

 

[Anon̦̦]

You aren't sure exactly what happened. But you are sure that you have a concussion, a bleeding hand, and probably a bleeding head.

"I am fine," you mumble weakly. You take a second to try to stand up, but Aura. The Queen. Your future wife. Stops you from even trying.

"Shush, you," she says to you, "I won't have my husband going all macho on me just to make his injuries worse."

You can't help but laugh a little, making your headache even worse. You wanted to make a great entrance and ended up lying down on the ground. Ironic, isn't it?

It wasn't much later that a couple of soldiers brought a stretcher, deftly putting you on top of it. "Husband, please don't resist too much. We are currently in the Palace itself. The soldiers shall take you with the royal physician, and make sure your belongings get to the Inner Palace. A doctor will be going to you in haste."

You wanted to say that you had some medicine with you, because really. You could use something for your headache. But you weren't even sure you would be allowed to try to unpack them.

In the end, you sighed, giving up to your drugless fate.

"Please, take care of my things. And do not get them wet," you manage to say to Aura.

She nods without hesitation, "I will make sure of it."

And just like that, you are taken away. And you know without a doubt that they will look through everything you brought to this world. You can just hope that nothing important broke with the fall and that they don't break anything.





You are Aura Carpa, the Queen of the Kingdom Carpa. And your future husband is being carried off to the medical wing as you speak.

You are mildly concerned, but after looking at it with a clear head you realized that it's clearly not much of an issue. You believe that at most it might be a small concussion and some bruises, and if so, he will only need to waken up during the night by the maids

He was lucky to not have broken anything, or worse. You were lucky.

Taking a deep breath, you look back at everything he had brought. You had expected him to bring some of his belongings, yes.

But never this.

The edges of the carpet are barely visible underneath the pile of items. And while you have to wonder what even some of the things could be, there is one object that catches your attention the most.

"Open everything and examine it closely!" you exclaim as soon as you know that your husband is out of hearing range. He surely knows what will happen, but it would be rude otherwise. "Bring any dangerous or strange objects to me without exception, and don't force anything if you cannot open it. Just set it aside!"

"Yes, your Highness!" you hear the chorus of men and women exclaim as a small squad of ten guardsmen, and the nine menial maids of the inner palace get to work. And surely, they bring exactly what you wanted to see first.

"Your husband's sword, your Highness," one of the soldiers says as he kneels and presents it to you.

Just looking at the shine of the pommel you can tell that it not a simple sword. It looks like polished silver, yet as you hold it there is a certain firmness. And that is extremely surprising, considering it's length.

And you are mesmerized as you unsheathe it, for it's not just a sword.

It's a piece of art.

Engraved within it perfectly and beautifully twisting patterns decorate it, so deep and uniform that you can feel it with your fingernail. You aren't even sure if your most skillful silver-smiths could do something like it.

Yet as you hold it with one hand and inspect it further, you notice the balance. You notice it's strength. It's not just a toy, but an actual weapon. Could this be made of the iron you've heard the northerners possess?

"Your highness, that is a beautiful sword," you suddenly heard someone say from your side.

It's Fabio Deubaje, your assistant. Your right-hand man. And as things are now, one of the most powerful men in Carpa.






As a queen, you have the ultimate authority, and always will. But at the same time, you are also the General, the Admiral, and the Vizier right now.

Said positions having been left empty after the war, and you have no replacement you can trust in those positions in sight.

"My future husband brought it with him," you state as you continue watching your men try to arrange your husband's things on the ground. Truly, how many things did he bring?!

"May I see it," he asks. And you proceed to sheathe the blade and hand it to him without a word.

"From what you had informed me of your conversations I had believed him to be a mere soldier," the man states as he inspects the blade, "maybe a low noble knight. But this speaks at the very least of a noble heir. I worry about his possible ambitions, especially if he turns out to be as power-hungry as the General Puyol."

Shaking your head, you turn to look at him. "I don't believe he would be like that," crossing your arms and letting out a deep breath, you continue. "He implied that he would let me rule in peace, and I wish to trust my future husband..."

"Yet we must prepare for the worse," he states. And you can't help but nod.

"Even so, in the worst case at the very least there won't be a civil war." you state, brusquely ending the conversation as you walk towards your husband belongings.

There is a crate leaking liquid, and from what your nose tells you it's alcohol of some kind.

And your suspicions are confirmed as you open the crate and find it filled with all kind of beautifully decorated bottles. Several of them look the same as the one your husband gifted you when you first met.

You still had the one your husband gifted you in your office. Truly, they would make wonderful gifts for the nobles after the liquor inside them is drunk. You are quite sure your husband wouldn't complain about giving away a few, he certainly seems to know about politics.

"Collect and store all broken pieces, and then take the rest of the spirits to the palace wine cellar!" you state dutifully before continuing to look around, Fabio joining your side as he takes hold of one of the broken bottles on the ground.

"Such craftsmanship, yet I wonder. Is it just that this material is so common in his land, or does it actually shows his wealth?" You don't reply to his query as you suddenly hear a gasp. Bringing your sight to one of the maids as she opened a small translucent crate of some kind.

"What is it!" you demand as you hurry. Yet it takes you no time to see the reason.

You become speechless.

There are countless jewels in that crate. From perfectly round, transparent pearls, to pebbles of all kinds and colors. They are beautiful, and there are so many of them.

You bite your lips, yet thankfully Fabio regains his bearings before you. "Guards! Gather a whole squadron and take this crate to the treasury with the utmost caution!"

"Yes, sir!" the men roar in response.

And you can't help but meet your secretary gaze as you wonder, exactly who was your husband?

You continue inspecting his belongings. And there are so many items you can't even fathom their use.

Some of them look like tools, others like torture devices. You aren't even sure how one would use rounded blades. Maybe by being thrown?

And then there were those crates full of copper tubes with strange tips on top. You are honestly baffled by their quantity. But maybe they are a currency of some kind?

The thing that caught your attention the most were the monstrous quantities of seeds of some kind, and a crate full of some kind of tuberous vegetable.

You can't blame your husband for wanting to bring some of his homeland's food to Carpa, but you could seed several farms with such quantities.

And all the books! Filled with pictures and diagrams of all kinds! There is also the book full of small portraits of what you believe is his family, and his growth. To have an artist capable of such detail documenting someone's life...

And his clothes! They are so perfect and colorful. Some of them even have portraits in them!

All in all, inspecting his belongings brought you with even more questions than answers. And as you look at the sealed container on the side of the room, you wonder what is in the boxes you didn't even check.

Your husband is truly such a mystery and being honest, you are quite eager to discover all of them. It certainly helps that he is not ugly, nor old. And you could appreciate his muscles. And such exotic look!

You could swear that he was a Jilbell instead of a Sharrow with those features!

You almost giggle to yourself as you walk back to the Inner Palace. The best part is that after talking with him before is that you believe that things might just work out!

While normally your husband would have been taken to the Inner Palace due to his wounds he was moved to an empty room near the royal physician.

Fabio follows you as you enter the room, and the first thing you notice as you enter is your husband is laying down in the bed, mumbling in his mother tongue as the Soul of his Words is disrupted by his inhibited lucidity.

"Your Majesty," Arnaldus, the royal physician, greets you from his bedside.






"Your husband will be fine, all his humors seem in order and his wounds are easily treatable. If anything, this is but a small warning from the Gods so that he may take his future ascension seriously."

"Still, I have administered him a small dose of redey, and balanite oil, to aid in his healing." he continues as he points to his tools and medicine on a nearby table. "I believe that he may be coherent again by tomorrow noon, but he must constantly be awakened during the night, at least five times, and then I would recommend bed rest for at the least whole week."

You take a deep breath, thanking the spirits, before approaching your husband. He seems to look at you, and you smile back. You can already imagine the confusion he is in, so you don't even hesitate sitting next to him and hold his hand.

"Thank you for your service," you can't help but say honestly to the physician as you dismiss the man. Looking back at one of the maids you continue, "Please, tell Amanda to always have at least two maids in waiting for my husband," before turning back to him.

He seems a little confused, but there is no distress on his being. His mind slowly drifting away to the realm of dreams. You stay at his side as Fabio speaks his mind.

"Your highness, do you believe he will be ready for the wedding less than a week?"

And you can't help but sigh. "We already sent the invitations, didn't we?" and you can't hide the small seed of worry inside you. "Besides, the wedding must be done in haste, yet our enemies try to sire a child from him and assassinate us."

""Hm..." he simply mumbles back. And you can't help but give him a small glare.

"Fabio, I hire you to speak your mind. Not to say yes to everything I say."

And that makes him nod, "We may lose some face, but head wounds must be treated seriously," he states, "For even if he can assist, what if there is a relapse during the weddings? Certainly, that would be even worse, and the spirits may just be capricious enough to punish us for our hubris."

You take another deep breath as you look at your husband. He has seemingly dozed off, and you can't help but think how cute is his calm visage

"And what other options do we have, Fabio?"

"Well, I believe that we may easily postpone the wedding for a couple of days, maybe a week. Yet our budget for the festivities might need to be raised to entertain all our guests."

"I think we should consult my husband tomorrow," you say after a moment, "he should be able to give us a good idea of how he feels better than anybody else."

"Of course, your Majesty," Fabio replies without hesitation, "Still, there are issues we must take care of."

You can't help but sigh, remembering just what you were reviewing before summoning your husband, "The White Fortress may need some reinforcements, but they are entrenched and have a whole sepat dedicated to their upkeep to protect Carpa. General Franco can surely handle the threat for now, but the real problem is the trading routes that cross The Arch, and Satet."

"Indeed, your Majesty," Fabio replies as he brings out a scroll and unfolds it, "Four of every seven caravans reported are being lost, presumably to bandits. Thankfully there is not a lack of food at the moment, for the country would certainly be faring a lot worse."

And there are also reports that we also lost a caravan on The Salt Road despite the Royal Army patrols. Also, the rumors of dissenters on Mut are raising. We may have to send an inquisitor to inspect the town."

You can't help but massage your temples, thankful that your husband is both unconscious and unable of understanding what is being said.

"We can't move that much power right now, especially since we need the show of power for the wedding," you say with a small groan. The Lords were supposed to levy their own armies for their own purposes, but it seems that they didn't have enough manpower to deal with this issues.

And Mut... You think about Carpa.






Mut is a major stronghold in the southwest of the country, made to protect the Nation against the various tribes that inhabit the lands between Kanem and Carpa, and if needed, also Kanem.

Yet it was also one of the strongholds of your enemies during the Civil war, as the provinces that bordered the Dashyt River wished to overthrow the crown and become their own kingdom.

You made sure to execute all the nobles that made the war possible, yet it seems that some of them escaped and are plotting.

The White Fortress is the first, and last, line of defense of the kingdom. Most of the Royal Army is trained there, at the southern borders, so that they may taste battle even in times of peace. Protecting the kingdom against roaming band of dragons, and the occasional barbarians.

But apparently, there has been a problem with concerning number of creatures trying to get through the wall and into the delta of the Iteru River itself.

If anything gets through the wall they would have a clear way to anywhere in the kingdom and countless of small towns and farms.

Finally, there is the Setat of The Arch, and its capital of Satet. Currently under Royal Control due to its strategic position. Covering the northeast part of the mainland, and most importantly, the border with Jilbell, you can't really express how important that trading route is.

Things are certainly getting hectic, especially since this are just the missives of the last week.

"The losses of the caravans are unacceptable," you say firmly as you give your husband's hand a small squeeze. Truly, how selfish of you was it to take him away from his home, and into this chaotic nation? "Wherever this bandits or thieves are coming from, we must stop them."

Fabio simply stays quiet. He has nothing to say that you don't already know.

"Do you believe that we could stretch the royal army to patrol more effectively that stretch?" you think out loud.

Fabio mustache twitches as he caresses his chin. "It could be done, especially since a small part of that stretch is indeed part of the Salt Road. But other lands will surely be left undefended, or with weaker defenses."

You sigh, wondering about the future of your nation. "Forget it, Fabio. We can't really fix a net by creating more holes in it."

Carresing your husband's face for a moment, you think about the upcoming wedding.

"No worries, Your Majesty," he replies with a small bow. "I will head back to continue my duties."

He leaves without fanfare, leaving you along with a couple of maids and your bedridden husband. And you can't help but repeat that thought in your head.

Husband.

You almost lose your composure in front of the maids as your face is covered by a blush. You knew this day was coming one day if nothing else than to continue the Royal Bloodline.

But to get a man that actually wants to marry someone like you?

And by the spirits! You've heard the ladies in the court talk about their husbands and how they please them!

But what if you aren't good enough? You have seen him look at your body, but what if he is disgusted by your battle scars and muscles? What if he has other likes and doesn't pay attention to you after getting another wife more to his liking?! Or if you die during childbirth and he is left taking care of Carpa alone and with no experience?

Countless of thoughts enter your mind, that is, until you feel his hand squeezing yours. It's probably just a reflex. But his warm touch breaks your troubled train of thought, as you look down at your interlocked hands.

You can't help but giggle after several moments of staring. And suddenly you giggles turn into a laugh.

Whether he likes you, or not. He is going to be your husband, and you his first wife.

You hope.

But you have won everything in your life through your own effort, tears and blood. And you believe that if you put effort into it, you will have a marvelous husband. And with luck, an even better friend.





"Blergh..." you mumble as your consciousness return to your being, your body feels itchy and your head is killing you. The fact that you were constantly shaken at night didn't help.

"Argh" you grumble as you open your eyes and the horrible, painful, light tries to stab your brain. You close them again in haste, and It doesn't help that you are itchy and your throat is dry.

But there is one thing you can't help but wonder, did they fucking give you morphine? Because it fucking feels exactly like morphine.

As you try to sit, It doesn't take even a moment for a maid to suddenly be on your side, helping you.

"S-sir! Er... I mean, your Highness!" The maid says nervously, "The Physician told us you would be thirsty, do you wish some water? Maybe some wine?"

You almost ask for water, but a moment of thought makes you rasp, "Wine, please."

"Of course!" You hear her exclaim, her footsteps clearly audible as she hurries to serve you some alcohol.

That is when you open your eyes and you see her.






The first thing that comes to your mind is that she is young, her petite body just showing enough curves to suggest that she is starting to bloom into womanhood. The second is that she is pretty.

And just as fast as she left to the small table on the corner of the room, she came back holding a silver cup filled with alcohol. You find it oddly cute how eager and flustered she is to help.

"Thank you," you mutter as you take the cup from her hand and take a big gulp. It's not really strong and tastes oddly pleasant like some mix of mango and orange. But it helps your throat.

As you put down the cup and look at the maid, you can't help but see a blush in her face for some reason.

"So, what is your name?" you can't help but say after a small moment of silence.

You don't miss at all how she gets a little flustered before bowing to you and exclaiming, "Your Highness, my name is Fee and I will be one of your personal maids. Please don't doubt to call me if you need anything!"

You don't know why, but you can't help but smile and pat her head. "I will make sure to do so, please give it your all."

You aren't sure why she suddenly blushes so much, but you admit that it's fun to tease her. It makes you let out a small laugh.

Still, as you lay down in the bed (which is surprisingly quite comfy), you start wondering.

You definitely feel like having a bath. And as you look down at your body, you notice that you were changed into some type of gown.

Hopefully, they don't mess too much with your uniform. There are also other things you would like to do, like looking at your things and taking some damn Tylenol or talking with Aura.

"So, Fee," you say as you try to stand up, her arms taking hold of yours after a small second to help you. "Would you help me go check over the stuff that I brought here? I have a headache that is killing me, and I brought some medicine with me."

"Uhm" she replies in clear confusion, prompting you to look at her. And apparently, that jostles her enough to reply. "Your majesty! The physician told us that you should rest in bed!"

You can't help but pat her head again, "Don't worry Fee. I don't feel that bad, and as I said I have some medicine I am going to take to feel even better," taking a few moments to get your bearings and stretch a little as you stand up, you look back at the maid, "So please, would you mind guiding me to my things?"

You see her hesitate a little, clearly thinking about it before she nods. "O-Of course, your Majesty!" she states, just before biting her lower lip and suddenly continuing quickly, "It's just that Dolores went to get some fresh clothes and water for you in case you woke up, and we should probably tell someone where we are going in case someone comes looking for us, because—

"Don't worry," you state authoritatively as you interrupt her. A small chuckle coming from your throat. Clearly, she must be a new maid and have no trouble reassuring her. "There won't be any problems, and I will make sure to take the full responsibility if anyone wants to scold you."

That appears to calm her a little, as she looks away for a second before suddenly starting to guide you somewhere. "I believe that your belongings are in the Inner Palace, your Majesty. It's not too far, but please don't stress yourself."

"By the way, there is no need to call me 'your majesty' all the time, especially if you are going to be working under me." you suddenly say to her as you are leaving the room. She almosts trips down, as you suddenly catch her.

"Uhm, Your Ma— Si— err..." She suddenly starts to ramble cutely. This time you can't hold your laugh.

"Just Christopher is fine, or Chris if you wish," you state as you start walking by yourself.

You aren't sure what is the reaction of the maid, as it takes her a couple of moments to run to your side and grasp your arm once more.

You proceed to walk through the halls of the palace with Fee on your arm. And as you do so, you can't help but appreciate the architecture once more.

Especially after you leave the current building you are in and head towards some gorgeous gardens. In the distance, you see another walled building. Could that be the inner palace?

Smooth and perfect stone, carved meticulously, definitely by hand, and then painted made up the entrance. Two obelisks of raise high around the entrance, and you can't see a single inch of them not covered in some kind of vibrant paint.

The inner engineer in you can't help but ask, "Hey Fee, how long ago was this palace built?" as you rub your head.

"C-Chris..." she stutters cutely before continuing, "I'm not sure..? The Palace has always here, you know? My grandmama once told me that her mother worked here when she was young."

"Don't worry, Fee. It's just that this place is so beautiful, and I wanted to know more about it," You caress the wall as you think, "Speaking about that, you are new, aren't you?"

"Ah!" she squeaks quietly, "Well, yes... After the palace started hiring maids once more, I just couldn't help but apply." she says nervously.

"B-But don't worry! I'm training, and they are teaching me to read, and count! I-I will get better!"

You can't help but smile at that, she surely is eager to learn and work. As you enter the enormous gate of the Inner palace, you can't help but say, "I'm quite sure that you will do great," you reply as you chuckle. "Please do your best."

"Of course, C-chris..."

"Halt!"
You suddenly hear someone exclaim. The sudden sounds of footsteps coming from the hallway you just crossed. You don't even twitch at that tone of voice, though it triggers something inside you as you suddenly have flashbacks about your DI.






"O-overseer Ziyad!", Fee exclaims as the man and a small group of guards approach you.

And you can't help but stare firmly back at the man as he inspects you with a small sneer. "Who is this man, Maid." he practically barks, giving a long look at your linked arms.

"Overse—"

"Lieutenant Christopher Gonzalez!", You exclaim back at him, suddenly standing to attention.

He stares at you, with a keen eye. "Gonzalez," he drawls your last name as if tasting it, "I believe I have a few of those in the guards but I haven't heard of your family ever having ties with Jillbellians,"

"I'm not exactly from around here," you say with a snort.

"From your first name... Foreigner, I would say," he scoffs, "Yet that doesn't answer the question of why you are trying to enter the Inner Palace"

You don't even have time to answer as suddenly the guards lower their spears and point them towards you.

He doesn't bother anymore with you before looking at Fee, "Maid! Why are fraternizing with a foreigner in the middle of the day, and where are you taking him!"

"Ov—"

"She is with me because I asked her!" you interrupt brusquely and to the point, "I promised her that she wouldn't be any problems, so if you have any issue then tell them to me."

The man walks towards you, and even being a head smaller than you, he is not cowed as he meets your gaze. "And who are you to say what is, or not, a problem in my castle?"

"Your commander in chief."

The punch in your gut takes out your breath, and you can't help but hear Fee scream. You don't even need to think as you tackle the man when he raises his fist towards her.

You certainly expected the gaggle of guards jumping to restrain you.

Then time seemed to come to a stop as Fee exclaimed, "Christopher is Her Highness' fiancee!"

The simple, flat, "What" coming from the Overseer's mouth as two guards tried to restrain you was almost music to your ears.

The guards restraining you shy away from you as if you were on fire, immediately standing at attention a few feet away. Your heart hurts, and you need a couple of seconds to see straight once more. You take a moment to regain your composure and straight your robe-thingy.

There is utter silence on the hallway, and you can see Ziyad kneeling, his forehead touching the ground. "Your majesty, I apologize! Please, don't punish my men, I shall take all responsibility."

You rub your neck as you look at Fee. She's terrified, and that makes something spark inside you.

"Stand!" You command, and the man proceeds to do so immediately. You don't hold back and punch him in the solar plexus. His leather armor certainly takes some of the brunt, but as he gasps for air you can't help but feel a little satisfied. "And now we are fair"

"At ease, soldiers," you state rubbing your head as you head back to Fee's side. You can see small tears forming in the corner of her eyes, so you do the one thing that seems appropriate. You pat her head. "Don't worry, Fee. It's just men being men, and I'm perfectly alright. Besides, I told you, didn't I? I won't allow you to get in trouble because of me."

"B-but it's—"

"No buts," you interrupt her as she holds her tears, "This was not your fault."

Taking a deep breath, you turn around. And you see the soldiers and Ziyad still standing to attention.

"I admit that I may have been a little hot-headed," you declare to the Overseer, "but is there any reason to this kind of greeting?"

The man seems uncomfortable for a second, but then he talks, "Your Highness, this is the perimeter of the Inner Palace. The only males allowed in here are the guards... and yourself..."

"I-I assumed the worse when I saw a strange man... being friendly with one of the new maids and heading towards the Inner Palace. It's certainly not the first time we have caught a spy attempting to charm the maids."

You take a deep breath.

You massage your temples,"Next time when you outnumber someone suspicious, please, try to detain them without punching them. Well, unless they fight back that is."

"Yes, your Majesty!" The men replied in unison.

"Anyway," you continue, "Could you give us an escort to the inner palace in case this happens again?"

"No, your Majesty!"

"Ok, th—" wait what, "Did you say no?"

"Yes!" Ziyad exclaims as he looks at you. "While I would not dare to believe that a royal maid would say such a brazen and bold lie, I would like to confirm your identity, your Majesty! Until then, my orders are to not let any males into the Inner palace, not even the guards, without the authorization of the Queen!"

You open your mouth. You close it. Well, he is not wrong.

"We would be glad to escort until then," he states with no regard of your confusion. "After all, I already am quite worried by the fact that you have no guard."

"It was my fault I had no guard," you say with a small sigh, "I convinced Fee to allow me to sneak out and get some medicine I had brought with me."

Ziyad looks at the maid for a couple of moments, before looking back at you. "I see, sir. Please, be more cautious from now on."

"I will, and anyway, please take me to Aura," you say after a small moment of thought. Your head is truly killing you, after all, you just want to get this all over with and lay down. "I'm quite sure that she can clear the misunderstanding/"

"Y-your Highness!", Fee suddenly appears by your side, "You shouldn't! Especially after t-that!" You smile at her, her worry very clear, "We should return to your room, I'm quite sure the Queen can come to your side!"

You pat her head, "What did I tell you about calling me your Highness?"

She squeaks cutely, but you don't really let her say anymore as you raise her chin and clean some of the tears from her face. "I'm perfectly fine," you state before turning once more to the guards.

"Now, if you wouldn't mind...?"

 

[Anon̦̦]

You sigh deeply as you talk with your secretary. Things are looking just as grimm as every day. The new scroll from your spy network informing you that the Sheklesh are amassing troops for a possible raid on the coast.

The civil war wasn't kind to Carpa. And now, you are going to need to reassign more of the navy to patrol the coast, yet that will take them away from the vital tasks of actually helping the country.

As it is, your Navy wouldn't survive another war, as they are all doing things like transporting taxes and troops, ferrying supplies and slaves, and even quelling the unrest of the more isolated towns.

Sighing once more, you set aside the scroll and start reading the next.

You barely contain your groan as even more bad news appear before you. Food shortages are rare on the delta, but apparently, there is a problem in the southeastern coastal towns as the coastal trade routes haven't been favorable this season.

You start drafting a document before suddenly you hear the clear noise of running steps.

Sharing a glance with Fabio, you frown as you stand up and head towards your wet bar. Truly, a new cup of wine wouldn't be a bad idea right now. And it does help that your sword is mounted on that wall.

You don't really react as the door to your office is suddenly slammed open, but you definitely blink at the sight the small maid that just entered.

You recognized her, she was the newest and youngest member of the Inner Palace maids. All must be approved by you after all, especially now that they would be serving your husband. You really liked this girl's energy and boyish charm. She was almost a copy of you at her age.

Yet as she lays there panting for breath, you wonder what kind of disaster just happened! She takes a few moments before looking for you.

"Your highness!" she exclaims before starting blabbering in haste, "I'm sorry but it is all my fault! C- Christopher, err I mean. His majesty, yes His Majesty was so nice! And he-kinda-convinced-metogosearchforsomeofhisthings-and Ddolores was going for clean sheets and some tubs of waters to bath him and clean! asandshe tooktheguardsbecaue they are heavy! And then, and then wemet withOverseerZiyad, and things happened! And then-he-petted-me again!! Andthenhecollapsed again!"

You barely notice the pair of guards that arrive a little while after her, to not to detain her, as you try to process what the maid says.

"What."

"Calm down!" you order the maid as you take a deep breath. You barely understood what she said, but what you managed to caught concerned you more than a little.

Still, you could deal with him being overly friendly with the maid later, right now there were things you have to do. "Take me to Chris," you demand before turning to one of the soldiers, "And make sure the Overseer knows where I am, I need to talk with him,"

The girl panics a little as you stand over her, but after a meek nod she starts quickly walking away, "Of course, your highness."

You follow her, and it doesn't take long to find the visage of a worried Ziyad standing outside your husband's probably quarters.

You don't bother with pleasantries as you stand in front of him and simply say, "Report."

Ziyad may not have been the brightest of all your commanders, but he was one of the few that you fought and bled with. And you knew he was loyal.

That was the main reason that you made him the Overseer of the Guard.

"Your Highness!" He exclaims before standing up to attention. And you certainly don't like what you hear. Ziyad was doing his job, especially since you kept your Husband's identity secret.

But at the same time, Carpa was still feeling the damage of the last war. And both Ziyad and your Husband definitely were hotheaded.

Taking a deep breath, you ask him to continue. "After that, we moved to escort your fiancee in search of you. But after walking through the palace, he proceeded to briefly faint, the maid barely able to hold him before one of the men avoided his fall. He recovered consciousness not much after, but after the situation was explained to us I decided that detaining him in his room and calling for the physician was the best available of options."

Taking a deep breath, he shakes his head and looks back at you, "I've met many men like him, and even if he will be my King, I won't stand to allow him to worsen his illness. I will gladly accept any punishment you deed necessary, your highness."

You can't help but massage your temples as you ponder the situation, "You did well, Ziyad. I will certainly be having words with my husband. But at the same time, the punch can't he ignored."

"I understand, your Highness," he says without hesitation.

"I believe 40 lashes should be more than enough for the guards to get the message, with luck I can get my Husband to do the deed," you say as you breathe deeply. The man doesn't even twitch, you appreciate that.




You wake up groggily, opening your eyes to see darkness. Taking a couple of seconds to groan, you stretch and sit.

Thinking about the previous day, you can't help but curse. You had briefly fainted, your condition not helped by the heat and sun of the desert.

And that was more than enough for Fee worried gaze to make you unable to complain as Ziyad dragged you back to your room and called the physician.

What the fuck did they even dose with you this time to make you go out cold!

"What time is it," you can't help but mutter to yourself as you look around for any of your belongings. Your phone or clock would definitely help.

That is when you suddenly hear a surprised and groggy squeak from the side of your bed, and through the darkness you suddenly someone stand up in haste. "Your Highness!," she exclaims in a whisper, "Is there anything you need?"

"Some water would be nice," you say as you feel your parched throat, something nice to eat wouldn't be too bad...

"Of course!" the maid exclaims as she quickly turns around, that is before you suddenly exclaim, "Wait!"

She halts on her steps and turns back, "Sir?"

Thinking about it... You weren't sure you could trust the water yet. "Is there any chance I could get some tea instead?"

"No problem, your Highness. I would just need to send someone to acquire the leaves if you don't mind,"

You nod, but after no reaction simply grunt a positive. The maid bows and proceed to hear outside the room. The gilded doors of the entrance giving way to artificial light

You hear her whisper with another girl and the sudden steps of someone jogging away before she comes back with a small candle.

You finally are able to take a good look at the girl.






She is wearing a simple white linen dress that doesn't hide her curves at all. And you can't deny that she is gorgeous, though you can't help but wonder about her blonde hair.

"Your Majesty, I've sent someone to gather the teas and instruments for the tea. I proceeded to also ask for a small snack of dried fruits. The physician asked us to urge you to take care of yourself and eat lightly whenever possible."

"Thank you," you mutter feeling tired and weak.

She is silent, and for a few moments, I wonder if I did something wrong. Luckily, she soon speaks again: "Is there anything else you wish, your Highness?"

You lick your lips, "Yes," you say as you rub your head, "I had some medication in my things, I'd like access to them."

The maid looks a little troubled as she tries to think what she says, "Your Highness If you could tell one of us how and where to search, we may be able to get them for you. But the physician wished to speak with you before you started ingesting any foreign remedies.

"T-the Queen informed us that if you insisted to actually go yourself, we may escort you to your belongings after informing her."

"Please inform her," you finally decide to reply "I'd like to show her some of what I've bought."

She nods. Yet she doesn't leave.

That is when the door suddenly opens once more and two other maids enter the room, one carrying a torch, and the other a tray. The second one is the one that catches your attention the most.






Her clothing is almost a copy of the one the other maids wear, that is, if you ignore that hers is a dark-red tone and the golden earrings she wears proudly.

"Your Holy Majesty," she begins with a small bow as she places the tray in a nightstand next to you. "I'm Amanda, your humble servant, and the Head Maid of the Inner Palace."

You look at her closely. You could say that she is on her mid-thirties, and there is definitely a regal beauty in her. And really, did Aura hire all the maids because they were pretty?

Still, she definitely looks more composed than the others, and definitely a lot more formal. You aren't sure how to answer, so you just go with a simple, "It's a pleasure to meet you, I will be in your care."

She nods curtly as she starts pouring the tea in a ceramic cup of some kind. "Ma'am, your Highness, with your permission I will leave to wake up her Majesty," the maid you were talking with simply states before hurrying away in haste.

"Your Holy Majesty," Amanda suddenly states as she holds a cup and a saucer in your general direction, "please take care, it's extremely hot."

You take it in your hands and give it a small sniff. And as you take a sip, you see someone else come into the room.

You recognize him immediately, Arnaldus, the royal physician. He doesn't even bother greeting you as he takes a nearby stool, drags it to the side of your bed, and sits down.

You don't miss the glare Amanda throws his way as he does so.

"Your Majesty, I hope that you rested well," he says brusquely, "And let me tell you, that foremost, I am a physician and acolyte of Imhotep. And even if you are going to become my King, I shall do everything in my power to make sure that you are well. Even if that means tying you down in this room for the rest of the month."

At that, he places his small briefcase on the side of the bed and continues.

"But beyond being a doctor, I'm an indebted and loyal subject of Her Majesty, and I wish nothing more than for her to continue being as happy as she has been the last month.

"So, what is this that I've heard about you not taking care of yourself and wanting to take some foreign medicine without consulting with me first?"

"I'd like to point out that said medicine is not foreign to myself." you snark back before rubbing your head, "To be blunt I don't know you or your skill. My training includes basic first aid so I started there."

The doctor grunts and grumbles, but you don't let him talk as you continue, "In my occupation, head injuries are well-documented and my homeland's military spends much for medications to be specially created."

"And are you a physician?" He barks back.

You blink at his response.

"No?"

He glares at you, "I understand what you say, yet have you thought that your remedies might conflict with the ones you have ingested?"

"I don't think so..."

The doctor sighs, before looking at you, "Your Majesty, knowing how to apply the rites is not the same as understanding them. Carpa has some of the finest physicians in the whole known world, even rivaling Jilbell, and dare I say outperforming them by at least a decade in the field of pharmacopeia."

You see the man rubbing his head, before looking back at you. "Yet, I believe that you are still too stubborn to care for my opinion. So I would like to ask for a boon if you could, I would like to hear and learn about your medicine and practices."

'Well, with a head wound there are some things to consider," you say with a small shrug, "First, the wound should be cleaned with purified water. If there isn't any available, the water should be boiled, "After that, you dress it if necessary and check for a concussion. Normally you light a light into the patient's eyes to ensure that there is no damage to the brain - the dilatation of the pupils gives clues of cranial swelling...."

So you start to tell him what you know, and while you aren't a medic, you did your utmost to learn as much as you could after you got your Purple Heart.

"Some of those things... They go against everything we know about the workings of the body," the Doctor grumbles bemused, but there is a small glint in his eyes. "Yet at least you seem to know what you are talking about regarding the practical side of medicine. Were you a combat medic before? It would explain your lack of scars."

"No," you say somberly as you shake your head, "I simply tried to learn as much as possible about field medicine after my platoon was ambushed once."

You could have certainly helped a lot more if you knew then what you know now...

"Granted. There are several books among my belongings that talk about medicine and the body in a lot more depth than I am able to explain off the top of my head."

The man rubs his beard, "Your Majesty, contrary to many of my companions in the Mouseion, I'm not against learning more about the world and other cultures. And I would love to have you join us in the cutting halls to discuss how your great physicians view the workings of the body," shakings his head, he continues. "But I guess that you are at least an adept practitioner of the arts, so I will heed to your will."

That's when you hear someone clearing their throat. You blink, looking up at to see Aura standing at the doors, a raised brow in her visage. "I didn't know that my husband was also a scholar," walking to your bedside, you notice the physician stand up and bow, a "Your Majesty," on his lips.

"Still, if you wish to visit the Mouseion, we could make arrangements. But for now..." and that is when you know that things aren't all right. Aura's face moving from clearly amused, to exasperated, "What is this I hear about you charming one of the maids to get out of bed rest?!"

"Rumors of my seduction abilities are greatly exaggerated," you say with a straight face.

It takes you a second to actually stop your facade and laugh, "But really," you say as you try to control your laughter, "I didn't charm her."

She looks at you with narrowed eyes.

Before she has time to say anything else, you continue, "I just befriended her and promised to take any blame least they try to blame her for my decision."

"And what is this about letting her call you by name?"

You look at Aura weirdly, "Well, she is going to be my personal maid right? I don't really think she needs to call me 'Your Highness' every time we meet. I would just feel weird."

Aura takes a very deep breath and then looks back at you. "And then, what is this about petting her."

Well...

"I can pet you if you want," you say as you reach up to pat her head. You can't help but smirk at her expression, "But really, I just patted her to calm her down. You must admit that she is just that cute, don't tell me you haven't, we're not basing this relationship on lies!"

"I-I!" she tries to get out as a massive blush covers her face. I take her a couple of seconds for her to regain her composure and weakly bat your hand away. "She was but a mere child, then!"

The redhead can't help but massage her temples as she takes a deep breath. "We will talk about this. Later. But for now, I've heard that you wanted some of your things even at these unholy hours of the night?"

You nod, rubbing your head. "I would really love to take some medicine right now, and taking a good look at what survived from my things would be nice."

You can see Aura nibbling her lower lip, before looking at the physician. "Your opinion?"

"If he is careful, and doesn't overextend himself, I believe that there may be no problem," the man says with a small nod, "And I shall trust that he has the knowledge to not create any more problems for his body."

After some light conversation, and being forced to finish your tea and some dried fruit, you are finally allowed to leave your bed.

You are escorted by the maids and a small group of guards, Aura taking hold of your arm. You are still in the Palace medical wing, apparently. So the walk actually takes a small while.

You can't help but appreciate the lack of lights and the clearness of the sky as you walk out to the Palace Gardens and towards the Inner Palace. "I will have the maids prepare the royal chambers for you." the Queen informs now that you apparently seem to feel better.

In the end, you find your things arranged inside a small empty building to the right of the Inner Palace courtyard. There are several like it though, you suspect them to be warehouses of some kind.

"I hope you don't mind, but I sent all the bottles of spirits to the wine cellar," Aura says as the doors are opened.

The first thing you notice is the wooden poles stabbed into the ground, thick ropes hanging between them. And on top, some of your books lay hanging, their pages clearly having met with your broken bottles of alcohol.

"Your Holy Majesty," Amanda interrupts your train of thought with a small bow, "It may have been preposterous of me, but I made sure to take out the books that acquired water damage due to the spilt spirits to dry in the sun. All the clothes we found were also taken away to wash and are now stored in the royal chambers."

You blink. "Good job, and thanks," can't really help but say as you enter to take a better look.

A pile of your things lay in the corner. Mostly unopened boxes and canisters. But there are several other objects in there. Your laptops are there, and you can't help but wince as you look at the crack in your actual laptop, but thankfully it seems mostly cosmetic. Lucky the rugged ones wouldn't be damaged.

The thing that really makes you wince is looking at the precision lathe in the corner. It will need a little love to get working as it seems one of its rails bent.

Still, you came for the medicine. The first aid kit you used to bandage your hand is in clear view, but it doesn't haves what you need.

After a little bit of effort and the help of the maids, you drag the box out, and finally, swallow dry a couple of pills. Looking back at your wife, you find her looking curiously inside the box.

You give your wife a sudden hug, her small squeak showing her clear surprise. "I'm sorry for worrying you so much and having you here at this unholy hour of the night."

She is blushing bright red when you stop hugging her, and a simple "D-Don't worry," leaves her throat, "I told you I would help you fulfill all your desires, didn't I?"

You can't help and smile and give her a kiss on the cheek, "Of course!"

You would more than likely treasure the expression on her face for a long time.

"Anyway, since you seem curious, let me tell you about what I have here..." you start. The context of the box isn't that hard. You bought some surplus first aid kits, and as many essential medicines you were comfortable buying in the local pharmacies.

After that, you start looking around and explaining to your wife what most of the things do in plain view do. Mostly the machinery, since your first priority right now is looking at the state of the solar panels and the hydroelectric plant.

You look around, as you ponder...

And in the end, can't help but take a small hit to your pride as you say, "Amanda, would you mind helping me move some things?"

You can see the approval in your wife's eyes as the maid does a small bow and wordlessly walks to your side. You don't really let her carry too much, just enough to clear your way to what you are looking for.

You wince as you inspect everything tough. The solar panels, a bundle of three hundred and thirty-watt cells, were mostly fine. But you could see that at least one developed fractures.

The hydroelectric plant is mostly right, though some of the piping will need some tender love.

That makes you sigh in relief, especially since the laptops seem to have survived without problems. You want to check if everything works alright, but you would need to install the things to truly be able to check thoroughly.

Instead, you look away from that and glance towards the seeds.

You can't help but panic a little as you remember the potatoes though!

"Aura, I need to plant these as soon as possible," you say as you inspect the sprouts, "Potatoes are the gifts of God to humanity, Aura. They can grow everywhere and mature in two months or so, have the nutritional value to support survival almost by themselves, can be stored for months at a time, and even when they go bad you just plant them to get more potato!"

Aura looks at the sprouts, though you are not sure why she suddenly looks conflicted, "I guess... In the worst-case, we could plant them in the palace gardens," she states almost as if asking a question.

"That would be perfect," you say a little relieved, "I just need them to survive so that we can grow more. I also got some crops from my homeland that I wish to cultivate."

You aren't sure why, but Aura appears a little nervous after you mention that and almost agrees instantly to figure how it will be done.

There is not much you wish to do tonight though, and thus you are escorted to your chambers. Aura giving you a small kiss on the cheek before walking away in haste to her own chambers, the other maids leaving with her as Amanda stays by your side.

You are not married yet, after all...

Behind enormous gold and blue gilded doors, there lies one of the biggest beds you have ever seen. Rugs of all kinds cover the floors and the walls, an enormous painting of some kind of city adorning one of the walls in a gorgeous frame.

The furniture is scarce, being mostly the bed, some nightstands and wardrobes, and a small table.

Still, you can't help but flop into the bed as you reach it. Yet as you make yourself comfortable, you are interrupted by Amanda.

"Your Holy Majesty," she states from your bedside, "I believe it is too late to bother any of the other resting maids when I am already here. If you would accept my humble self, I shall stay by your bedside in case you need anything through the night."

"Uh..."

"That is quite alright Amanda, you have been of great help," you say with a yawn. You are surprisingly sleepy even after resting so much, but this time at least you can blame it on your own medicines.

"Goodnight," you finally mumble as you drift into the arms of Morpheus.

Spoiler

"Good Night" Time skip to next plot relevant section of the story.
22 votes
+ POV change to Aura
18 votes

You are Queen Aura. And everything you have found out about your Husband only makes you have even more questions.

His wealth is almost unheard of, yet he is also a soldier, a medic, a scholar, some kind of craftsman, and probably a man of the Gods.

And all those items he has brought, from his gemstones, his majestic clothing, and all the way to crops and seeds of all kind from his homeland.

You don't blame him though. You clearly remember how even during your childhood in Jilbell, and all the way to the end of the war, one always craves the taste of home.

And after asking so much of your husband, finding some farmland is the least of your worries. But you will need to schedule for the Priesthood of Renenutet to come to the Palace as soon as possible, and with some hope, there shall be no further problems.

Massaging your temples, you take a drink from your goblet. You are not sure what the future will bring, but if one thing you are sure of is that your husband intrigues you.

Right now it's early morning, the sun hasn't even raised. Yet you are in your office right now. Your husband is still sleeping, strangely for what you expected of such a man. But you can't fault him, he is wounded.

Still, you have things to do, and you got someone waiting for you.

You walk into your office and immediately see someone sitting down in one of the couches, drinking a goblet of wine.






She is Sabbah, your spymaster. And you have never figured out how she sneaks into the place even with all your guards.

"Leave," you say immediately to your escort. The guards and the maids leaving in haste.

"Your Holy Majesty," Sabbah greets you as she raises her goblet, "How is my favorite redhead doing these days? I've heard that you even found an unaffiliated boy-toy with the Carpa magic to marry!"

You take a deep breath as you then proceed to walk and sit down next to her, "Quit with the formalities, you idiot," you can't help but snark as you steal her goblet and take a drink, "and I found no boy-toy, I found a husband!"

"Boy-toy, husband, they are all still the same, Aura," she snickers as she pours another goblet of wine for herself, "Still will give you a good dicking, won't he?"

You blush bright red, but don't bother to answer. Sabbah is your spy master and one of your only real friends still in this world after the war.

"Is he at least handsome?" she suddenly whispers into your ear, making you almost drop the goblet in surprise!

"Y-yes. Yes, he is!" You state firmly after regaining your composure. You have nothing to be ashamed of after all! "Still, we can chat later. Now, tell me what happened, you rarely drop completely unannounced."

At that, you can see the girl sigh and lean into the couch, one of her hands suddenly rubbing her head.

"You remember Aristonikos son of Aristonikos, the Cavalry Commander of the west? He has brought some concerning information about Komanos."

You can't' help but curse under your breath. Komanos was a dear friend of you, currently overseer of the garrison in Buzay, one of the cities in the border as a reward for his loyalty. It was supposed to be a cushy job, but if Sabbah is here...

"What happened?"

"A heretic priest from one of the barbarians tribes of Makuria settled himself into the town. He managed to gather all the scum and criminals to help him before calling his tribe to attack," taking a big gulp of the wine, Sabbah continued:

"They opened the gates at the middle of the night, as the night shift of the guard was murdered. The governor was killed and left as an example in the main plaza, along with all the military," shaking her head, the woman couldn't help but sigh, "The temples and the divine statues have been desecrated, the priesthood was raped, killed, and eaten. Probably not in that order. And since that wasn't enough to sate their thirst for blood, they sacked the town and the people itself."

You can't help but bite your lips as you think, "Were there any survivors?"

Sabbah somberly shakes her head, "Not enough to matter, and if there are any others, it's the women and children they surely abducted for themselves."

You can't help but lean into Sabbah as you try to process the information. You knew the raids were getting worse, and with your army in the state it was the other nations were looking hungrily at your lands.

But you didn't expect anyone to have the courage to attack so fast, or so boldly.

"I will need to talk with the Generals," you say along with a sigh, "Can I trust you to send me a written report?"

"Of course, Aura," the woman says as she gives you a half armed hug. And you can't help but wonder, how many more friends will you lose to senseless war?

You stay in her arms for a small while, in silence.

Though it is not much later that she breaks the silence, "Protarchos, the governor of the Zygra, currently haves an extra stock of one thousand and seven hundred artabas of grain and six hundred of clean wheat due to tax evasion," she whispers, making you blink.

"You could send eight hundred men to the hunt with those resources alone, and if you give me a couple of weeks and a lift to the western provinces I can see if the other nearby lords have some hidden caches," giving you a small squeeze, you can also feel how she is shaking a little. You don't blame her.

"Some of my contacts will run dry because of the loss of blackmail, but it will be worth it," she almost whispers to you. You catch the implications, but you don't really care that much. Sabbah has always looked out for you and for the well-being of Carpa above all.

"I... I actually can't use magic right now," you can't help but mutter as a blush covers your face.

The look Sabbah gives you is one you know perfectly.

"I needed to use the spell and my future mana to summon my husband!" you exclaim embarrassed! Sabbah has always drilled you how important is to always have your teleport at hand, and this is no different!

You immediately wince as she flickers your forehead, "You stupid girl," she manages to say with a small sigh. That is, before a predatory smile appears on her face, "So... was he worth it?"

You can't help but feel your whole face turn red as Sabbah pins you down, "Why don't you tell me more about this new husband of yours?"

 

[Anon̦̦]

The Palace of Carpa
This is the main Palace of Carpa. In here all the political and economic functions of the kingdom are performed. There is a small temple of Amun Ra inside the Palace walls, and a man-made canal allows relatively small naval ships access to the precinct directly from the River Iteru.





If you continue walking past the Palace and past the gardens, about one-hundred yards away, there lies the Inner Palace.






This is the residence of the King, the Great Queen, and their entourage. By tradition, no men (except the King) are allowed inside the walls unless they are escorted to do maintenance or other labor-intensive tasks.

Both the Palace and the Inner Palace reside inside the same small precinct, surrounded by the capital city of Capua. As of now, the Inner Palace is nigh-empty, in part due to the Enuch Guard demise during the Civil Guard and the small number of girls Aura has handpicked to be allowed inside for her safety.


The Surrounding World





A map of the Southern Continent and your surrounding neighbors. West of Carpa there lays a massive desert, and on the south, the jungles run rampant.

Carpa [WIP]




Red is exclusive of the Royal Crown, the Heart of Anat being their usual domain. But after the war, all the traitorous provinces that border the Dashyt River, the Mountainous Region beneath them, along the strategical city-fortress of Mut, and the Coastal Province of Pontic came under their control.

The white wall at the south protects the Kingdom from wandering megafauna and barbarians coming from the wildlands.

 

[Vindictus]

Hmm. You can pick up solar panels to charge batteries/electronics, yes? I think we could probably grab one of those and grab a mil-spec tablet loaded with PDFs for all sorts of shit.

I doubt we could bring any really large scale production equipment along with us, but having the design documents for the tools we'd need to build more tools would be a boon, I think.

As to other stuff... We're military, so I assume we've got at least a couple of weapons? Pistols, guns, etc. We probably won't have the tools to manufacture a good pistol for a while, but we can probably work something out for manufacturing bullets more quickly, given time (of which we will have plenty) and resources (Of which we have a kingdom's worth)

Beyond that, IDK. Most of our resource needs will be taken care of by dint of being the Not-King.
EDIT: Lol disregard, was confused by the 'What will you do' at the end of the first post.

 

[Anon̦̦]

Hmm. You can pick up solar panels to charge batteries/electronics, yes? I think we could probably grab one of those and grab a mil-spec tablet loaded with PDFs for all sorts of shit.

I doubt we could bring any really large scale production equipment along with us, but having the design documents for the tools we'd need to build more tools would be a boon, I think.

As to other stuff... We're military, so I assume we've got at least a couple of weapons? Pistols, guns, etc. We probably won't have the tools to manufacture a good pistol for a while, but we can probably work something out for manufacturing bullets more quickly, given time (of which we will have plenty) and resources (Of which we have a kingdom's worth)

Beyond that, IDK. Most of our resource needs will be taken care of by dint of being the Not-King.

Click to shrink...

Fam, check the updates

 

[Vindictus]

Fam, check the updates

Click to shrink...

I noticed when I hit 'Post' lol

 

[Travisplo]

Can I assume that this will be only an archive for the SFW parts of the quest?

 

[sdarian]

This has been pretty interesting so far. Looking forward to reading more.

 

[Ghostdevil]

I saw this, the chat is very NSFW lawl.

 

[Anon̦̦]

Can I assume that this will be only an archive for the SFW parts of the quest?

Click to shrink...

You assume well.

 

[Travisplo]

You assume well.

Click to shrink...

Oh, as well, the threadmark title Prenuptial Nights part two is semi confusing, when on fiction.live, you also have that as a title for a separate section.

 

[Anon̦̦]

Oh, as well, the threadmark title Prenuptial Nights part two is semi confusing, when on fiction.live, you also have that as a title for a separate section.

Click to shrink...

True enough. Made it chapter 2 instead.

 

[Anon̦̦]

Nothing but Ashes.
By an Anonymous Anon

You are Komanos, the city of Buzay has been entrusted to you because by her Highness, and it is burning, mostly because of you.

You knew it the moment that you hear the mix of dying screams and ritualistic chants, the savages were inside of the city, and if no warning came beforehand, then they attacked from within.

You have heard rumors about a heretic daring to enter this city, but reports said that he was on the lowest part of the city, as is to be expected of its kind, and when you ordered your people to inspect the slums, the only trace left was the anxious looks from the poor, as if waiting for their opportunity.

Now you realized that the moment had come, the seeds were planted and now you reaped the fruits of your incompetence.

Yet you wouldn't go without a fight, without doing everything in your power to slow them down.

You sent men to burn the storages of food and flammable goods, to free the animals and destroy the crops, to set fire on the straw roofs and blend between the traitors to destroy anything useful in the chaos of slaughter.

You knew that most of these men would be killed, but it was worth it.

You don't even hesitate when commanding them to trow corpses into pounds, there would be nothing left for them, nothing but scorched earth.

It has been an eternity and an instant since you sent those men, and now you can hear the pounding on the temple's gates.

These gates weren't made with the intent to hold off an army, but you and your remaining mean have made a barricade with every single piece of furniture you could find.

Aa the gates bend and scream under the abuse, you think of the priesthood.

Whatever has been their fate, you didn't know, you left a dagger for each one on the same room they gathered to pray, maybe they have decided to take their own lives, keep praying in hopes of a miracle, which we could certainly use, or they are now grasping those daggers in shaking knifes ready to Stab anybody who comes inside to the death, probably a combination of every option.

Your line of thought is cut by the first great hole made on the door. Before you can even get a look at what is on the other side the men next to you lets go of his arrow earning a yell of pain from the other side.

Soon, more wood is replaced by bloodthirsty savages, and more of your remaining men shoot their limited ammunition at foes.

The barricade doesn't last long either, you put the most valuable goods on an underground room and out the heavies objects on a barricade in said place before bringing the roof down, blocking the entrance with debris that would hopefully hold then off for long enough for Carpa to reclaim this city.

Your men soon run out of arrows, and bows fall to the ground as spears a drawn.

Short-minded people may think that archer are weaklings that stay away from combat, but nothing could be further from the truth.

A bow is a weapon that relies on strength, and those next to you are the best you have.

One by one, they fall. Some impale an enemy after being stuck down, other are cut down before they can draw blood, but everybody charges with the wrath that only those who give up everything in the face of death can muster.

And soon it is only you surrounded by the corpses of your last men and barbarians desiring your blood.

You know that you can't expect respect from such foe, they will desecrate your body and make an example out of you and the defenders of this city, such is the way of the beasts.

You grab your spear and charge against death itself, and you hear the sound of sharpened stone tearing flesh and bows being released.

You manage to trow your spear into somebody's face before the world goes black.

 

[Anon̦̦]

There is a certain crispness in the air as you wake up in the heat of the desert. Something you are accustomed to already.

You can't help but yawn as you stretch. The morning rays of the sun shining into the room through the enormous windows. Once more, you are captivated by the magnificence of the palace. The glorious colors and art painted on every wall make you wonder just how much time it took to make them.

Still, for some reason, you are not surprised as a maid greets you almost immediately. For some reason, you believe your privacy will be very scarce in the future.

What you didn't expect is for the maid to be Fee.

"Y-your Holy Majesty," the girl says nervously, "Is there anything you wish me to h-help you with?" And you can't help but simply look at her and raise an eyebrow.

The silence stretches for a few moments, before you finally say, "How did I tell you to call me, Fee?"

She blushes, just before her gaze turns down to the floor, "I-I was told... Amanda told us that we should call you with the honor you deserve..."

You can't help but weakly shake your head. You guess that for now, you shall allow them to follow their customs.

Aura did certainly seem a little bothered by the fact that you treated her so friendly!

Still, as you look at the girl, something inside stirs... She is just so cute and teasable!

You can't help it. Really, you can't.

Your hand almost move on their own as you pet her head, "There is no need to be so courteous to me, but you may call me as you wish,"

The flustered expression and the blush on the girl's face make it totally worth it.

Right now you have several things to take care of, though. And even if you really wished for a bath right now, you knew that you would sweat a lot. And more than likely get wet.

The first thing to do is to install the hydroelectric generator and the solar panels. And while you are tempted to do it yourself, you remember your injury.

"Fee, could I get some help from the guards to do some heavy lifting? I would really want to unpack and prepare some of the things I brought with me.

"Uhm... You are the king," Fee replies still a little flustered, "We surely just need to ask some of the men by the main gates."

With a nod, you stand up. Not even caring that you are still wearing nay but a linen robe. "Let's go then, Fee! It's time for science!"

The girl watches you a little hesitantly as you walk towards the gilded doors of your room, taking a few seconds to start following you.

That is when you can't help but ask, "By the way, where are the main gates?"

As you walk through the inner palace, you can't help but once more notice just how empty it is.

Reaching the main gates doesn't take long thankfully. But this time, just as you reach them, you become an officer once more.

"Soldiers!" you bark as you arrive, eliciting a small squeak from Fee by your side, "Do you know who I am?!"

The men stand to attention immediately, their spears standing by their side as they reply a simple and nervous, "Yes, your Majesty!"

With a simple nod, you inform them that you need several hands to help you with your things. They nervously inform that they would need to call the garrison for more men.

You simply nod and tell them to do so. After all, you know that they are security.

And after a group of size men arrives back in a jog, you take them to help you.

You had seen how the pool in the corner of the palace was feed by some kind of fountain cum canal...

With a little bit of help from the guards as they carry your things, you start to work.

You aren't sure how much time passed as you lost yourself in the installation of the power plant. The guards surprisingly helpful in giving you what you asked.

Fee stood mostly by the side, reminding you to drink some wine from time to time. And make sure you had some light snacks through the transverse of the day.

You aren't even sure how the hell you managed to do it, but you installed the generator just in time for you to notice Aura walking towards you from the distance!

She has a small entourage of people with her, though.

Getting out of the pool, you wait for them to arrive. Certainly, they seemed to actually been searching for you.

There are several women, all of them wearing green colored linen, decorated with jewelry and actual flowers of all things.

"Husband," Aura greets you with a small kiss on the cheek. You certainly don't miss how she doesn't want to get wet though, "Let me present you the High Priestess of Renenutet, Penthelia, and her retinue."

The women bow in front of you, save one that simply takes a hesitant step.






She looks at you with wide, blank, eyes. And, suddenly, the world almost seems to stop around you. No one reacts, no one moves, as all you can hear is her voice.

"I've seen you," she almost seems to whisper as one of her hands caress your cheek, "You are the stranger Renenutet showed to me in my dreams."

You can see from the corners of your eyes as Aura looks at the scene with narrowed eyes, yet she does not move.

"The Iteru will swell for you, without there being a year of lack or exhaustion in the whole land," the girl continues almost as if in a trance, "The lands of Carpa are beginning to stir again, the shores will shine wonderfully, and wealth and well-being will dwell within them.

"But for the ground to be filled with wealth, there must always be a flood."

"But... Where is the blood of Kek? The Kingdom's sire?" she almost whispers to you, your faces inches apart as she looks at your eyes. You can't help but notice her eyes, glowing in an unnatural eery green light as she gets closer and closer.

"Ah!" she suddenly says, "The darkness inside you is strong, but what is else is also there in your blood? Almost as strong, it blinds my sight."

Shaking her head, she separates herself from you, " Care not, anyway. For as long as the blood of the gods run strong in her rulers, the glory of Carpa shall extend unbroken."

You aren't even sure what just happened as suddenly the world starts again, The young girl suddenly bowing to you, "Your Holy Majesty, I've been told that you bring strange crops and seeds from your homeland, yet I can say with certainty that they would not upset the local spirits anymore.

"But if I may request a boon your Holy Majesty, would I beseech of thou some of thy seeds and saplings for the Priesthood of Renenutet?"

You only need to think about it for a couple of seconds.

Keeping cycling spare seeds, if only to stop them all from being lost or destroyed in a disaster, is a good first step towards a proper seed bank.

Looking at Aura, she seems in deep thought. Though it seems that she notices you, and as your eyes meet, you understand that she is telling you to do whatever you want.

"Sure," you say without hesitation, still wondering what the frack just happened, "In fact, I was just going to look at the seeds at crops I brought with me to set up their storage, and to plant the potato sprouts in the royal garden."

The smile Penthelia gives you almost dazes you, as it makes the world appear brighter. You could swear the flowers in her dress bloomed a little!

"That's exceptional!" she seems to exclaim in joy as she looks at you with wide, exuberant silver eyes, "Your Majesty, what kind of plants did you bring? I promise I will take care of them in the Temple's Garden!"

You aren't really sure how to react as the girl seems to transform completely, her personality taking a one eighty. And right now, one thing that you certainly notice is how she appears so young.

"Anyway!" you interrupt, "If you would follow me, I would be glad to share with you a cornucopia of goods!"

You aren't sure how to react to the squeal she gave out.

You definitely did not expect her reaction as you showed her some of what you brought. You could have sworn that the girl came a little.

"You gathered a-all these different kind of seeds, and you will really give some of them to me?!"

For once, it seems that you surprised Aura too, as the Priestess proceeds to glomp you in a hug, "I promise I will take care of them all! And if you would come to the temple, I would be happy to show you our collection! Of course, you should tell us the names of all these new plants, and you can teach us how to grow them! Of course, we would also love to help you bless the fields and harvest for your new crops! And of course, there are the hanging gardens! And we can a make communion with Renenutet, and you could join us blessing the fields!"

You... really don't know how to react.

You can't help but look at Aura in surprise. 'Help me' certainly marked upon your visage.

The smirk on her face and her attempts to conceal her giggles is all the answer you need. You narrow your eyes, a mouthed, 'you will pay!' coming out of your mouth.

Looking down at the little girl, you do the one thing you know how to do. You head pat her.

"Uh," is her simple reply as she stops talking you. Her wide and innocent eyes looking up at you as she hugs you.

"Well, Penthelia was it?" she nods, "I'm not really an expert, or even knowledgeable on how to plant all of these. But I have thorough instructions on how to take care of them, how to plant them, and in what kind of soil and light."

"Oh, that's marvelous!" the girl says, "I can already feel all their spirits, the seeds so eager to thrive and grow! With your help, we can surely make the right conditions for all of them in our gardens!"

You smile at her. Truly she is so eager...

Wait.

"Did you say spirits?" you can't help but blurt out, causing the girl to tilt her head and look at you strangely.

"Of course, can't you feel them?" she asks.

And at that, you hear Aura sigh from your side, "Penthelia, my husband hasn't even begun his studies into the Arcane arts."

That, for some reason, makes the girl gasps. And as you look back at her, you see a profound sadness in her eyes, "Y-your Holy Majesty, truly you can't feel them?"

You don't even have time to answer as the girl takes hold of one of your hands, and presses it against her own chest. You blush as you feel her chest, yet looking at Aura she seems almost unconcerned.

"Can you feel my heart?" the girl asks to you, no hint of shame in her voice or a speck of red in her face. It takes you a second to regain your composure, as you concentrate.

Surely, you can hear your own heart chest trying to bounce out of your chest. But slowly, you start hearing her own beat. "The heart is the wellspring of life," the girl states then, "Our blood is the conduit of magic, and the soul the source of it all."

"Let my soul guide yours, so that you may witness the true world."

And suddenly everything changes.

You can feel things that you did not know possible. Things nigh impossible to understand. You see the specks of life inside the seeds you are storing, shining weakly from where you are. You see their different personalities, their strength, and flaws.

You see the Earth that makes up Penthelia. The spirits of the natural world taking root upon her soil.

You see the Darkness in Aura. The sight of eldritch space and time, a whole inexplicable visage to your senses.

And suddenly everything is back to normal. The only thing you can hear is your heavy breathing as you try to make sense of the world once more.

For at the same time, you have finally realized.

Magic is real.

You are in another world.

Spirits are real.

And Gods may or may not too.

 

[Anon̦̦]

The Queen's Fiancee: Christopher Gonzalez



You are Christopher Gonzalez, First Lieutenant, Combat Engineer. Fiancee of Aura Carpa, and future Prince Consort of the Kingdom of Carpa.

You attempted to start your studies as a Civil Engineer, but with time, you noticed that the loans would grow too big. After talking with your parents you decided to join the Military looking for a brighter future.

The Queen: Aura Carpa




Overseer: Ziyad




Physician: Arnaldus






Head Maid: Amanda






Personal Maid: Fee







Personal Maid: Dolores







Personal Maid: Rethe





The Queen's Assistant: Fabio Deubaje






High Priestess of Renenutet: Penthelie




Aura's Spymistress: Sabbah