Arthur walked calmly out of the study, all the while suppressing his rage. The thought of someone he once looked up to suggesting that he kill his own wife just instead of the one who tortured him for over a year... he had no words to describe how he felt. It was a mixture of emotions, but one that he didn't expect was pity. Headmaster Willbeck had lived for thousands of years, but unlike him, she had all of her memories from one life to the next. Something like this would have probably driven a normal person insane, but instead she held onto the fact that she wasn't alone, that even though the three of them never remembered her, that they were a family.

"Are you ok?" Regis asked, interrupting him from his thoughts.

"Yeah, I think so. How's everyone else doing?"

"Pretty good. Caera gave us the grand tour. The dungeon was actually pretty nice, at least as far as dungeons go."

"They have a dungeon here?"

"Just making sure you're  paying attention."

"Trust me, I need a distraction right now."

"Then get up here. Tess and I are in your room, and she's seeming a bit horny. Nothing better to distract one from their thoughts than to have hot sex."

Arthur almost said something, but held back since Regis seemed to be trying to help.

"Thanks, but I think I need to warn her instead. She's strong enough to go toe to toe with Seris, so if she tries something Tess should be ready to defend herself."

"Gotcha. I'll keep close to her when you aren't around. Four eyes should be safe from the sounds of it."

"Yeah, I don't think we need to worry about his..."

Arthur stopped mid sentence at the sound of a large crash coming from the kitchen, followed by a string of profanities.

"I'll be up there in a little bit, keep up the good work."

Arthur walked over to the kitchen door and opened it, to see Alaric standing in front of some open cabinets and a bunch of pots on the floor.

"You're the cook here too?" Arthur asked with a teasing tone.

"Ha, these highbloods don't have a refined enough palate to enjoy anything I cooked up. No, I was just looking for a drink."

Arthur looked and saw a pitcher of water. "There's water right over there," he said pointing.

Alaric gave a deadpan look. "Young man, when an adult says they want a drink, what they're looking for is..."

Knowing where this was going Arthur pulled a mason jar of Pasta's special brew from his storage rune. "Alcohol?" He said finishing the old man's sentence.

"Aww, bless you boy," Alaric said, reaching out for the jar.

Arthur however walked off to another cabinet and pulled two glasses out and placed them on an island, and poured the clear liquid into the glasses. Alaric picked up one of the glasses as Arthur did, they clinked their glasses together, and Arthur took a sip as Alaric took a whiff then took a sip himself.

"Hooo, damn. That's some good stuff," Alaric stated then proceeded to drink more.

"Before the war, one of Dicathen's generals owned a tavern in the beast glades and brewed all of his own liquor. This is one of his special brews he made just for me."

"You Dicathians have some pretty liberal hobbies. I can't even imagine an Alacryan General doing something like that." Alaric commented with an amused tone before taking another sip.

"He was retired. The war forced him to come back, we needed every white core mage we could get to defend our homes."

"You know, not everyone in Alacrya supports the war," Alaric said solemnly. "We just don't have a choice."

"I know, that's what we're all fighting for here. To give people a choice, and free everyone from the rule of Deities," Arthur replied and took a sip.

"I didn't know Dicathen was actually ruled by the Asura."

"Technically we aren't, but as soon as they snap their fingers our leaders bow their heads and do what they're told. Alacrya is only the beginning for me, after I've dealt with the Vritra the Asura are next. By either blood or words I'll break their hold," Arthur downed his drink. "Then begin undoing the damage they've caused."

Alaric poured him another drink. "Sounds like you've got your work cut out for you, you'll need this."

Arthur chuckled. "Thanks. By the way, I'm curious. Why were you digging though the cabinets looking for alcohol?"

"Ah, well you see the chamberlain won't let me into the highlord's study or the wine cellar. But the chef," Alaric smiled with a nod, "he keeps a few bottles of wine for cooking up here. Well, at least he did. I think he's caught on to me."

Arthur laughed and pulled three more mason jars from his storage rune.

"Here, this should keep you out of trouble for a day or two."

"Hahaha, a day or two? I'll be lucky if this lasts till morning."

"You know I was wondering. You don't exactly look like the revolutionary type. How did Seris recruit you?"

The light hearted atmosphere in the room disappeared instantly.

"I...I had a son. A long time ago. When it was discovered he had Vritra blood he was taken and sent to a highblood family for training. My wife never recovered from that, neither did I. I spent everything I had to try and find him, even if I could just see him again." The pressure in the room changed, any non mage would be struggling to breath, while a weak mage would run in fear. "I found...the former highlord that had him. He lost his status when my son died under his care. I got the bastard good and drunk, then killed him slowly."

"But that didn't make you feel any better did it," Arthur said as more of a statement than a question.

Alaric shook his head. "I found myself at the bottom of a bottle constantly after that. Then a few months ago Caera brought me to Seris. She told me her plan and what she wanted from me. I was going to turn her down, I didn't want to get caught up in the idea of a revolution. But then she brought up my son. She told me after Agrona was defeated, she would see to it that Vritra blood children would never be taken from their blood ever again. Something about that, that felt like something I could get behind...to honor my son."

Arthur pulled two more jars from his rune. "I'm sorry. Not just for your loss, but for making you talk about it."

"I don't know why, but telling you doesn't seem to be all that hard. Almost feels like I'm talking to my own blood."

Arthur smiled solemnly and patted his back before walking out and heading to his room.

"Do you think she'll keep her word?" Regis asked.

"I think so."

Arthur didn't need to know the layout of the manor, or to know which room Tess was in. As long as Regis was nearby her, he could be walking blindfolded and still find the room. He climbed the stairs, walked right past a few maids, and right to the door as if he were the lord of the manor. The door opened to a lavish room that rivaled their bedroom in the Zestier palace.

Arthur's eyes scanned the room, but didn't see Tess. He did however see Regis making himself comfortable laying on a sofa.

"So will you be sleeping here? Or do you plan on fighting for your space on the bed?"

"Here's good. I've decided to be nice and leave the bed to you two."

Arthur eyed Regis suspiciously. "So you're planning on watching us have sex aren't you?"

"Nope." Regis sat up. "You see, I came to a realization recently, as you have been blocking me out while banging Tess. Eventually you two will be having kids, and when that happens your sex life is going to tank." He then smiled triumphantly. "So go for it, fuck your girl. Eventually you'll be having just as much sex as me."

"Loving your optimism," Arthur replied sarcastically as he deactivated his disguise artifact.

"Don't forget, I'll still be here then too. I'm going to corrupt those kids and we're going to drive you crazy."

"Regis!" Tess called out from the bathroom door,her disguise deactivated. "Don't you dare think of corrupting my children!"

Regis shrunk down in fear from her tone. "Sorry?"

"Sorry? No, that's not enough! Give me your word that you will never do anything Art or I wouldn't approve of!"

"I promise." "Shit. It's like Jekyll and Hyde here. Are you sure she isn't the schizo one?"

"What you're experiencing is motherly instinct. Never do anything to threaten a woman's children, because she will kill you, and probably hit me by association."

"There," Tess said as her mood appeared to reset as if a switch had been flipped. She looked at Arthur and grabbed his hand and began to pull him along. "Come on, I want you to check out this bathroom."

Tess pulled Arthur and he followed into the bathroom. The bathroom itself was almost completely white marble with gold leaf patterns throughout. There were two sinks that appeared to be back marble bowls with golden faucets, a toilet that was off in a corner and walled off on three out of four sides to allow privacy. Lastly came the bathtub against the far wall, which looked more like an in ground swimming pool.

"Look at this bath!" Tess squealed and she ran over and touched two crystals, and instantly steaming water began pouring out of a golden faucet. "This is a salt water bath."

"Oh yeah, I tried one out in the previous timeline. I even had one in my previous life."

"Really?! Lucky, we don't have baths like this in the palace. To be honest I've never been to the ocean before. Most of the Elenoir coast is rocky and the water is really cold so my parents never took me."

"That's a real shame, but then again I never took a beach vacation in either of my lives."

"I've heard the beaches on the south western coast of Dicathen are really nice, specifically the ones in Sapin by Mayburn. Maybe we can visit sometime after the war is over."

Arthur came up behind Tess and wrapped his arms around her, planting a kiss on her head. "That sounds like a great plan. A week long beach vacation. I guess I'll need to get a new bathing suit, I haven't had one since before I left to train with the Asura."

Tess smiled happily as she pictured their first vacation together.

"Oh, I almost forgot the best part!" She reached out and touched another crystal, and several jets of water started shooting inside the tub. "Just imagine taking a bath together in here. Better yet, let's do that right now?"

"Tess..." Arthur replied with an expectant tone. They had agreed beforehand that there would be no sex on this mission, as it could leave them in a vulnerable position.

"What? I expected we'd be in some dirty safe house, not such a clean and luxurious mansion. Besides, it's not like we have to have sex. What's wrong?" She turned around and began to pull her dress up. "Do you think you can't control yourself?"

"No I can't," he replied with a chuckle.

"Come on, we're both adults here, we can show self control," Tess said as she pulled her dress from over her head.

"Says the woman who asked me to use static void at least a dozen times in the relic tomb."

"Come on," Tess whined childlike as she threw her dress to the ground, leaving her in only her bra, panties, and silver leaf necklace.

"You know, ever since you two got married you've let your teenage hormones run wild. Why stop now?" Regis reminded him. "Besides, we know Caera isn't a threat. Unless of course you want me to get her to join you two..."

SMUT WARNING ⚠️

Arthur smiled as he started unbuttoning his shirt. "Fine, it's not like we're completely vulnerable. Regis is standing guard right outside."

Tess smiled excitedly as she leaned up and kissed him, letting her bra drop between them as she backed away smirking seductively.

"Yeah, I'm fucked."

"Technically she's about to be fucked."

Tess dropped her panties to the floor and kicked them off, hitting Arthur in the face with them, then slowly slid into the bath.

Everything was going completely according to her plan. With the recent introduction of Caera, Tess' old insecurity issues started to resurface. After the war started and Arthur came back into her life she didn't feel threatened by the other noble girls, even the pretty ones with larger chests. However this was different, Caera was different. She had seen through Regis' memories how she practically stalked him throughout his time in Alacrya. Even though this was not the same Caera, it was the same Arthur, she could fall for him again, and she didn't know enough about her to know if their marriage would stop her.

So now the plan was simple, just like wild mana beasts, Tess would "mark" Arthur as hers. Using her sexy body she would make sure Arthur was so happy with her that he would shoot down Caera if she even hinted that she was interested in him, regardless of how voluptuous her body was.

"How in the hell did that sweet innocent little princess I saved all those years ago practically turn into a master of seduction?" He asked as he loosened his belt.

"It's your fault," she replied, glaring at him while trying to contain a smile. "You've corrupted me."

"I did? I don't remember teaching any of this to you."

She gave a saddened look. "No, but making me wait for so long, then being so amazing in bed. I feel like I need to be seductive to keep you interested."

"You don't need to keep me interested," Arthur replied insistently. "I've been interested." He kicked off his pants. "If it wasn't for my mental age, I probably wouldn't have waited this long."

His boxers were kicked off leaving him completely naked, showing off his completely erect member.

"So if it wasn't for the war or your mental age, you might have taken me while we were at Xyrus?"

"I want to say no, but without my mental age and with teenage hormones, I feel like it wouldn't have taken much on your part to make that happen."

Carefully he then slid into the tub beside her as she stared at him with a hungry look.

"Maybe it's because I'm so much in the mood, but that really makes me want it now."

"Really, well let's see whose self control gives out first," Arthur commented as he sat down.

Tess slid in right next to him and he wrapped an arm around her, bringing her close. Arthur didn't realize it at first, but Tess had poured some scented oils into the tub before adding the water. So now with the jets moving the water around, the oils had mixed thoroughly into the water and were giving off a relaxing smell. As relaxing as it was, Arthur was nowhere near relaxed enough to not notice Tess' hand rubbing on his thigh.

"I guess you're the one who lacked self control," Arthur teased.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" She replied, sounding insulted. "Since when was moving my hand along your thigh considered sexual?"

"Alright then." "Two can play this game."

Arthur started to twist around to his right and used his left hand to start rubbing on her thigh, while he began nibbling on her left ear.

"Art," Tess moaned out with a smile.

She had enough already, no matter what, she won. Her hand abandoned his thigh and began wrapped around his hardened member and began slowly stroking it. Arthur also smiled, and stepped up his game as well. With his left hand he started rubbing on her low entrance as his right had reached down and began massaging her right breast.

Ready for more, Tess turned her head to face him. Being forced to abandon her ear Arthur instead attacked her lips. Their tongues danced together as they teased one other for more. Deciding to be more aggressive, Tess moved in from Arthur's lips and began sucking and biting on his neck. Arthur moaned a bit after being caught off guard from her taking the lead. She continued on his neck, moving from one spot to the next, leaving little "love marks" as she went. With his healing they would probably only last till later in the evening, long enough for anyone and everyone to see she's marked him as hers.

"That's it," Tess moaned. "You win." She then gave his member a little squeeze. "Now time for your reward."

She released his member as she took a deep breath and dunked herself underwater, then took his member into her mouth. She began bobbing her head up and down underwater. Arthur wanted to grab her head and run his fingers through her hair, but worried he would hold her down when she needed to come back up for air. After a minute or so she came back up gasping for air, then went back down again to resume. However when the second time happened he didn't let go back down. Instead he picked her up and sat her on the cold marble floor.

"Art?"

"I was just thinking I want to give to you as well."

Tess smiled lewdly, she knew where this was going. He pushed himself out of the tub and laid on his back, then Tess climbed on top and lined her pussy with his face, and his cock with hers. Almost simultaneously his cock entered her mouth as his tongue entered her pussy. Tess' head bobbed up and down taking almost his entire length, as Arthur's tongue moved through her folds for her most sensitive points. As she moaned into his cock he grabbed her ass and pulled her closer, making it that much more intense for her. Tess lost herself in the euphoric feeling as chills ran up her spine, and she hoped she never got used to this sensation. She was so into how good he was making her feel that she completely missed all the signs of how close Arthur was, and he came in the back of her throat.

"Kakaka," Tess coughed as she pulled her head from his member.

"Tess, I'm so sorry," Arthur apologized, not really paying attention to how close he was.

"It's ok," she replied looking back, with cum on her lips and cheek.

"Fuck, I never realized how hot that looks," Arthur thought to himself, making sure Regis was still blocked out.

She then wiped some off her cheek with her finger. "You know, I've never really bothered tasting it before." She then put her finger in her mouth and sucked it off. "It's a little salty, but not bad."

"Damn. I married this woman. Thank you gods."

"A shame though, that's not how I wanted it in me," Tess disappointed.

Arthur then practically pounced on her.

"Art?"

"Look down," he said from atop her.

She looked down, and he was already completely hard again.

"Wow, that was fast," Tess commented, as that was by far Arthur's fastest recovery time.

"Clearly you have no idea how hot and sexy you just were."

He then smashed his lips into hers as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He hooked his right arm around Tess' left leg and raised it, and moved his pelvis forward, allowing his cock to rub right on her wet pussy before pushing in. Tess moaned in delight into the kiss as he entered her, seeing her plan worked better than she ever imagined.