The unit set camp without trouble; the men were happy to find the tables waiting for them. Barny was able to start expanding the menu with a dedicated cooking area again, which was celebrated.
The days following that, the men fell back into routine, with one minor change. Having five squads to rotate days off for, Gregory set up a weekly plan. Each day, one of the squads went on the obstacle course, which had needed to be touched up after their week away. Another was sent to town for the day after breakfast, with orders to return in time for dinner. The other three squads worked on their naginata skills.
Both squires and the slaves were quickly adapting to the training Rafiq led them through. With the limited time Gregory took away from training the men, he worked on his horseback riding, slowly improving his greatest weakness as a commander.
~*~*~
Gregory woke slowly to softness underneath him. Waking with a smile, he turned on instinct to face the shadowy corner. “Dear one, how are you?”
“Good, my heart. Are you ready to hear the trials of Clover?”
“I wasn’t sure who you’d bring to speak first. Why Clover?”
“Because she is the most excitable, and it would be best for all of them if she did not burst from the wait.”
Gregory chuckled, trying to imagine Clover not being the first. She’d be crushed, then practically buzz with energy while she waited for her turn. “Her enthusiasm is one of her charms.”
“I agree. Your wives and Clover will be joining you shortly.”
Gregory exhaled slowly as he sat up on the edge of the bed closest to the swirling shadows. “We’re on the best path, aren’t we, Darkness?”
“For you and your wives as a family, yes.”
“This year is unpleasant, and next year will be worse, won’t it?”
“From a ‘missing them’ standpoint, yes. Your magus posting brings you back together, though you will have trials before and after that moment.”
“As long as I don’t cause my wives pain…”
“You bring them only joy, dear one. Even those you have promised, the joy of knowing you are waiting for them outweighs the loss of you being gone for now.”
Taking a deep breath, Gregory nodded. “Are you going to be okay doing this?”
“One at a time, it will be fine. I will be skipping ranks between, and they will be told that. For Ling, I planned for the solstice, and Roshana when you reach adept rank. I will slow your growth more when you become adept. This way, you do not break the record for the fastest growing magi ever. Once you are in Krogga, I can speed up your growth again.”
“I trust you to do what needs to be done, my heart.”
A soft, happy sound came from the swirling shadows. “And that makes my core warm, dear one. Now, be ready; I am going to bring your wives, then Clover. I have informed all of them, plus the others, how this will work in the future, so that none of them die of impatience while waiting for their turn.”
“Thank you.”
A moment later, three gorgeous and naked women were on the bed beside him. He leaned in to kiss each, savoring the moment because he knew their time would be short.
“Ohhhh?! Me! It was me!” Clover’s voice cut in as Gregory leaned back from his kiss with Mindie. Just as naked as the others, she quickly crawled across the bed to them. “I’m so happy I got to be first!”
Gregory went bold, kissing her lightly. “Focus, Clover. Time is short because of distance.”
Yukiko giggled. Clover’s face blazed from the kiss; she leaned in and kissed Clover just as chastely. “Yes. Focus.”
Jenn and Mindie did the same, which had turned Clover bright red down her neck and into her chest.
“I’ll focus,” Clover said breathily, clearly loving that they’d all kissed her. “Umm… yes, focus…”
“Resonance?” Yukiko giggled.
“Right! Fears… being alone.” There was a subtle pause before the last two words. “That no one will want me, that you’ll all laugh at this being a joke and leave me. I know it won’t happen, but it’s my fear that your love leaves me.”
They pulled her closer, putting her beside Gregory, who took her hands in his.
Swallowing, Clover met his green eyes with her solid black ones. “Weaknesses… I struggle to show my true feelings. I’ve lived with my mask of happiness for so long that I hold back any pain I feel under the mask.”
“You never have to hide it from us,” Gregory whispered. “Your pain is our pain, Clover. Your joy is our joy. Sadness will be divided among us, but happiness will multiply between all of us.”
The other three agreed with him.
Clover sniffled as a tear trickled free. “Thank you. Strengths… my mask… silly, isn’t it? I can’t help but be happy and bubbly all the time. It’s become who I am. Even when I’m at my lowest, I will pick up those around me.”
“We love your enthusiasm,” Yukiko murmured, kissing Clover’s neck. “It can be both your weakness and strength. We’ll help mitigate your weakness and give you even more to be happy about.”
More tears fell as her friends and eventual family accepted her broken duality. “I love you all…”
“And we, you,” Jenn said softly, reaching around Yukiko to pat Clover’s back.
“One more,” Mindie said gently.
“Desires…” Clover murmured. Her eyes latched back onto Gregory after she’d wiped the tears away.
“You’ve told the other five, haven’t you?” Gregory asked when she paused.
“Yes, but to tell you…” Clover’s face began to go crimson again.
“I won’t speak against it, no matter what it is.” The words were soft, gentle, and full of love.
Clover swallowed the lump in her throat before she blurted out, “You filling my mouth.”
Gregory blinked, not understanding right away, but Yukiko’s giggling helped him understand.
“She does have a habit of shoving meat in her mouth,” Yukiko said, her hands gently cupping Clover’s bare breasts. “She might also want more than just your length, too. She is part squirrel, after all.”
Clover groaned in embarrassment, but nodded jerkily. “Yes, yes, yes, to all of it.”
Gregory coughed as his face burned. He was all too aware of his body responding to the thought with her less than a foot away from him, their hands in her lap. “Oh, umm! Y-yeah. That’s fine.”
“He enjoys it,” Jenn snickered, “as is obvious.”
Clover’s eyes dipped, then widened when she saw what Jenn had meant. Licking her lips, she started to lean toward Gregory, wondering if she could have her desires right now.
“Not yet, Clover,” Yukiko giggled, pulling the eager woman back to her. “It’ll be in Krogga. If you pass my last few tests, you’ll get your desire while I get mine: controlling you in that moment.”
“Yes! Anything, Yuki.”
“I am sorry. It is time,” Darkness whispered. “Say goodbye.”
Gregory leaned in, kissing Clover gently. “Be good, Clover. You’re precious to all of us.”
Clover’s eyes glistened. “Thank you.” She was gone the next moment.
“Not what I expected, but not completely unexpected, either,” Yukiko murmured. “We’ll discuss it later.” She kissed Gregory. “We love you, dear one.”
The others kissed him, saying goodbye before leaving just Gregory and Darkness in the room. Gregory exhaled, as he was still standing proud when all his wives had left.
“Her path is set,” Darkness whispered. “Nothing stops her from being beside you, now, dear one. Your acceptance sealed that path.”
“Good. I care for her a great deal.”
“They all know and feel the same. It is time for you to sleep. You have another week before you have to get supplies.”
“Before that—!” Gregory threw himself without warning into the shadows.
Darkness laughed happily as she caught him, wrapping him with tendrils of darkness and sapping his aether from him. “Thank you, my heart. Not yet, but soon. Dream of me…”
As he nodded off, she brought him closer, letting the shadows vanish just before he did. A deep longing was climbing in her each time she saw him clear of her namesake. She would never risk his health again, but she was starting to struggle to keep to that promise. Sitting there for a minute after he was gone, Darkness looked over a room that had been destroyed ages past; it had been his bedroom when he’d been called Aether. Gregory didn’t seem to recognize it yet, but she knew he would in time. With one last sigh, she was gone, the room fading a moment later.
