Capítulo 122: The More, the Merrier [ * * * ]

I stare at the figure of the petite Queen above me, impaled on my still lively cock. That's a detail I, fortunately, don't have to worry about too much. At this point, I'm confident in keeping at it for more than a day or two straight. I think.

But, met with Lianne's proud, hungry, and almost crazy expression, I start having doubts about that. It would be a lie if I said that I haven't partaken in intense activities with girls who love it rough, yet she gives me the feeling that I might have not yet slept with a truly insatiable woman.

Seemingly guessing my thoughts through my wry smile, Lianne's adorable grin wavers a little, replaced by a shadow of worry. She slides her small hand over my chest while glancing at me from above.

"Am I going too far, perhaps?"

I quickly sit up and bring us into a lotus position, with our faces right in front of each other. Sensing my intentions, Lianne leans forward and we enter a tender kiss, exchanging lively and passionate pecks. Her fingers race over my chest as she enjoys the brief show of affection.

Breaking it up first, I gaze into her deep blue eyes. "Don't worry about me. I can take a beating, and I assure you I'm almost fully certain you would reduce yourself to a trembling mess before tiring me out even a bit."

She shows a beautiful smile. "You are not acting brave and just saying that, are you? Because it's been so long since I had such a wonderful cock I might be unable to hold back after I let go. You fill me so well that even staying like this feels amazing."

Cornelia's face shows up next to mine as she hugs me from the back, pressing her soft breasts into my skin.

"I can guarantee everything he says is true and only true. Don't forget how many women live in the mansion. He's not having orgies twenty-four-on-seven only because they all respect his time and him as a person, which doesn't mean he couldn't hold them at any moment and for days. You won't find another person so fitting your condition in this world, Lianne."

The Queen hugs my lovely magician through me, effectively squishing me between their pleasant breasts from both front and back as they share a moment. I wait a few seconds, grazing Lianne's gorgeous back.

"Well, he certainly is something if he was able to get rid of your terrible shyness and stubbornness. At least partially," Lianne comments with a wide smile after they part.

"Oh, shut it," Cornelia quips back.

Even without seeing her face, I can tell it's currently covered by a radiant blush. Lianne isn't wrong. The old Cornelia wouldn't even be able to talk about a situation such as this one. She has changed so much since the first time we got together. As much as to bring me to her best friend to bang her with both of them present.

I lean to the back a bit and turn my face to where my precious wife is. Our eyes meet and Cornelia lets me join our lips together. I try my best to convey my feelings for her and she most likely gets it through our bond as her hands cup my cheek and our exchange switches to a more dear moment.

A groan escapes my throat and interrupts our sweet kissing session. We both turn to look at Lianne, who bites on her lower lip while moving her hips up and down on my member.

Catching our gazes, she giggles softly. "Sorry. I couldn't help myself."

Cornelia chuckles too and shakes her head. "You complete slut…"

"Hey! That's no way of speaking to a queen!" Lianne pouts at her.

"A queen? Yeah, you are one. A Queen of Sluts."

"Yeah? Then I appoint you as my Court Slut. You seem to know a lot about true sluttiness."

"Uhhhh…" I stare between the two with raised brows.

"What?" they both ask at the same time.

"Is that how you usually talk to each other?"

Cornelia and Lianne exchange glances and chuckle together. Warm, charming smiles decorate their lips as they turn back to me.

"Did you think I always spoke in a very polite and refined manner, Alastair?" the latter asks. "I like it very much, yes, but it's extremely exhausting. And Cornelia is my best friend."

"Don't forget she's a complete slut," the former adds. "What is a bit of informal speech in front of so much moaning, cursing, and dirty talk?"

They chuckle again and I join them this time. She's right. I fooled myself a little. Lianne was usually so kind and royal that I've accidentally assumed she always holds herself like that. She is a normal person too, living in a slightly different environment. Well, normal as much as it can get while being crazy for sex.

Another squeezing sensation assaulting my penis interrupts my train of thoughts and I catch Lianne gyrating her hips on me.

"You are truly insatiable," Cornelia comments for me.

With a pleasurable sigh, I drop back on the bed, placing my hands on the Queen's slim thighs.

"Go for it. You must have been holding yourself back damn hard. It's been years since you did it last time, right?"

"Are you really sure?" Lianne glances at me curiously. "And, yes, I haven't slept with a man since my husband passed away. It's been… long."

I smile reassuringly. "If you find me worthy of your affection, then feel free to go wild. Use me as much as you want. My cock is yours for the taking. I'm honestly amazed by your dedication."

"She's always been like that," Cornelia says. "You won't find a more faithful woman in this kingdom. As you can imagine, many men tried to court Lianne, either out of love, desire, greed, or other reasons. Yet, you are the first one who made her waver."

"Stop it." Lianne's fair cheeks turn a shade redder and it's certain that's not the fault of her lewd tendencies. "I just never felt anything for anyone who came after my husband passed away. You are saying that, but you would do the same for Alastair, wouldn't you? And I feel like he would say the same words to you that my husband said to me in the past. It took some time, but I finally found a connection with someone."

"Alright. Enough of that soppy talk." Cornelia claps her hands a few times. "We don't have much time right now. You better squeeze all those years of sexual frustration into the next half an hour or we'll get discovered. Get those hips moving, chop-chop."

"Oh, gods…" I smile wryly, meeting Lianne's hungry gaze.

"That's a lot of orgasms I have to catch up on." The white-haired, youthful Queen giggles at me. "It's time to get serious."

"Add her to your Partners before she devours you," my wise magician wife reminds me and I do exactly that.

Aware of my Class and its inner workings, Lianne quickly accepts it with a smile and immediately slams her pussy onto my cock with a mighty downwards thrust. I have no idea where she stores all that strength and energy in her petite body. The bed literally caves under us as she pounds me into the mattress.

Cornelia chuckles at Lianne taking her advice to her heart and glances down at me from the side. I turn my face to her and look up, past her gorgeous breasts hanging above me.

"Do you think…" she begins but slows down almost immediately as her cheeks grow rosy from embarrassment.

As Lianne keeps hammering her waist into mine, I twist my torso a bit and bring my face closer to Cornelia's body, arriving right in front of her underbelly. Sitting on her knees, she leans back a little and spreads her legs invitingly. Still very embarrassed, she lets me reach her alluring slit and give it a loving kiss.

She's doing her best to hide it but I know and feel how tough this actually is for her due to her nature. Lianne doesn't even pay attention to us but the presence of her long-time friend, and the Queen no more, has a clear effect on Cornelia, making her very embarrassed about the situation she has found herself in.

Still, despite that, she fought against her shyness for the sake of Lianne and I love her so much for that. I try to reassure her as much as I can through our bond and also by tenderly brushing over the inside of her delicious thighs as I shower her pretty flower in affectionate pecks while looking Cornelia right into her eyes.

"Al…" she whispers to me with a coy tone, a wide smile decorating her face.

She slides one hand down her belly and reaches her secret place, using two fingers to spread her beautiful petals to the sides, effectively, revealing her all to me and giving me much easier access to her delicious lily. I caress the sensitive pink with the utmost affection, divining inside with my tongue now and then.

Cornelia clearly relaxes a little bit and lets me hear some of her sighs and quiet moans. Weirdly enough, they don't get lost in the plethora of loud noises, sounds, and almost screams Lianne is making on our side. I can hear Cornelia's enthralling voice as perfectly as possible. It's truly music to my ears.

Fingers appear in my hair and I notice Cornelia's other hand arriving on the top of my head. She ruffles through my grey strands lovingly as I eat her out. With time, she turns slightly bolder and uses her hold to guide me around the best spots doing wonders for her or to push my mouth more into her leaking slit.

I feel a convulsing squeeze on my cock and guess that's Lianne cumming on it after riding me for a moment. Not wanting to be rude and appear as if I pay no attention, I buckle my hips up a little and blow a load deep inside her snug tunnel. A prolonged moan reaches our ears as another batch of warm seed fills up the Queen.

Not even three seconds pass before Lianne spins around and nails herself on me again but at a different angle. The intense hammering continues.

I sneak a glance down there and find her literally scissoring me while hugging my leg. Our gazes connect and Lianne shows a beautiful smile that just oozes gratitude and excitement. Her small frame grinds into me with so much joy that it makes it even sexier. Her long, white hair flail in the air as her porcelain-white skin drips with little drops of sweat.

Before I stare for too long at her jumping body, Cornelia uses both hands to press my lips into her folds and I quickly return all my attention to her. Bit by bit, she also reaches her peak and trembles slightly as I keep sucking on her clit during her high, sneaking a single finger into her leaking honeypot to rub her insides at the same time.

She finishes with a rough breath and her eyes move toward Lianne. The two of them look at each other and the Queen grins at my shy, tsundere magician while raising her voice by an octave and speeding up her thrusting even more. Of course, Cornelia blushes heavily in response and averts her gaze.

"AH!" Lianne yelps as I slap her butt.

"No bullying my lovely wife. Only I get the privilege to do that."

Cornelia snorts to my words but I can see the corners of her mouth lifting up. She then smirks at me at points at the Queen with her thumb.

"You've done fucked up, Al."

Raising my brow at her, I follow the gesture and notice Lianne's even more heated expression. I focus on her lips, which clearly convey 'more' in a silent tone full of lust. Because, of course, she would be into that too.

Chuckling internally, I curse myself for that mistake. "Oh well. I guess it's time we turn it up. Do you mind?"

Cornelia leans down and places a brief peck on my cheek. "Show her what you can do. I had my share."

I smile at her and peck her back. Afterwards, she helps me sit up quickly, which throws Lianne off balance with a yelp of surprise. Before she can recover I jump at the petite Queen and pin her down.

"Change of plans. To end this quicker, I'm going to rough you up so much you won't be able to walk straight for a week. That should be enough for a slutty queen just like yourself, no?"

Lianne's eyes sparkle briefly and she bites her lip.

"OH!" she gasps when I suddenly drive myself into her with all I have.

We begin the classic missionary, with the slight change that I have to hold Lianne's sides damn hard to prevent her from getting launched off the bed with how heavily I pound her tight pussy. She instantly grabs the sheets by her head and starts writhing in pleasure, clearly enjoying the forceful approach.

"Ohhhh! Ohhhh! Harder! Faster! I can take it! Ohhhh!"

She even has enough wits to scream for more, which is commendable but not that surprising. She must have been really starved for a good pounding after so many years. I can't imagine myself meeting her stamina and desires if it was the past me. Their love life with her late husband must have been truly intense. I wonder if he could keep up.

Nevertheless, it's not like I'm so insensitive to ask about such things, be it right now, in the middle of a fierce clash of sweaty bodies covered in love juices, or at any point under much more normal circumstances. The last thing she needs is someone to stupidly remind her of her first love too much and bring out some melancholic memories.

Instead, we should focus on creating new ones. And what's a better place to do that than the bed, of course. I'll make her pussy remember every inch of my cock after today's unexpected meeting. I'll make sure to properly satisfy all her needs from now on, no matter how complex our relationship might become. I'm obliged to at least this much after receiving the feelings of someone this precious.

"Cumming! Cumming! Ohhhhhhh!"

Lianne gushes more of her sweet nectar onto my member as she enters another shaking orgasm. Just as all the times earlier, I flood her royal pussy with waves of fresh semen, catching her wrists and pulling her slim frame into myself with a lot of strength. We both get a few seconds of rest during our peaks and shortly after.

"So rough, hahahaha, ohhhhhhh!"

But, the next moment, I roll onto my back with Lianne in my arms. She plops down on my chest with a soft smack and laughs charmingly, releasing a moaning gasp into my face as my cock rushes through her stained insides again.

She's received so much of my seed already that it's dripping from around my cock pretty much in a constant stream. It makes it a bit easier for me to rush through her tight vagina and clearly does wonders for the dainty Queen too. She smiles at me charmingly while her body gets bumped by my movements.

"Ohhhh… I think… Ohhhh… I'm falling even more… Ohhhh… In love… Ohhhh…" Lianne admits amidst her cries.

Cornelia chuckles somewhere and I notice her standing at the bottom end of the bed.

"You love that thick cock of his, don't you?" she asks with a mischievous tone.

"Ohhhh… Yes! Ohhhh… I love how… ohhhh… it spreads me! Ohhhh… It's even better… ohhhh… than my husband's!"

"And you would love it even more if there were two of them, wouldn't you?"

"Ohhhh… Totally! Ohhhh… That would be amazi—wait what? OHHHHHH DEAR GODDESSSSSS!"

Lianne's head suddenly jerks to the back and her mouth opens wide. I try to take a peek over her shoulder and find Cornelia right behind the Queen, slowly pushing her hips forward, bringing them closer to Lianne's bottom bit by bit. Noticing something looking like the top side of panties covering her underbelly, I immediately understand what's happening.

"MY GODDESS! MY GODDESS! IT'S GOING INTO MY BUTTTTTTTTTTTTTT! OHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Shivers envelop Lianne's body as her eyes roll slightly to the back. She grips my arms so strong her nails dig deep into my flesh, creating some shallow cuts on my skin. Still, her face contorts in full pleasure as what I assume is a strap-on slowly invades the Queen's backdoor.

I obviously pause my movements during that moment to avoid causing Lianne any accidental discomfort or pain. Cornelia notices my slightly concerned gaze and chuckles, bringing her fingers up for me to see. A familiar, slimy substance slowly flows down them and she silently speaks, 'Don't worry. She's had bigger,' with her lips.

This woman. She gets so embarrassed when I do anything to her in front of someone but she goes full teasing mode on the others. I noticed it earlier, when she was ordering me where to pound Lianne around the room, or when she made out with me while squeezing her between our bodies. I wonder if Cornelia is a hidden sadist too.

Our petite Queen finally gets ahold of herself and finishes her orgasm, induced by the sudden appearance of another stiff pole in one of her free orifices. She clenched on me damn hard when that second cock was spreading her anus. But, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Cornelia told me how hard Lianne went on the rocking chair with two dildos.

"You… You…"

"I what?" Cornelia smirks at Lianne, who is peeking over her shoulder to match gazes with the sly magician.

"Barbarian! How could you go after my butt while I'm distracted and stuff it with this… this… What did you even penetrate me with?!"

Cornelia chuckles. "Exactly with what I said. This is the perfect replica of Alastair's incredible penis, hand-crafted with attention to the utmost detail. Courtesy of my other, more recent best friend."

"Ohhhhhh…" Lianne lets out a melodic moan as Cornelia pulls her hips back and gently moves them forward again.

"So that's how it feels to fuck someone, huh. At least in terms of movement. Pretty weird."

"Stop this… ahhhhh… at once!" Lianne orders but I can somehow tell she doesn't really mean it.

"Why would I? It was one of your greatest fantasies to get pounded in both pussy and ass at the same time, wasn't it? You would never cheat on our partner, though, so the chances of that happening were close to zero."

Cornelia thrusts her hips once more, evoking another shiver and moan from the white-haired little lady.

"With this," she continues, "you have nothing to worry about. It's still technically Alastair's dick drilling your ass, and I'm sure he doesn't mind, does he?"

I decide to answer with my own hips and remind Lianne's pussy about the presence of the original inside her hot vagina. She groans in pleasure and shoots me a glare. I'm not sure if it's accusative or just so thirsty it looks damn ferocious.

Cornelia reaffirms her grip on Lianne's sides and pulls her waist back, bringing the strap-on almost fully out of the Queen's narrow ring.

"I'm soooo going to enjoy paying you back for all those teases." An almost evil grin paints her face.

Lianne glances at me and giggles wryly. "Oh, dear Goddess, have mercy."

I smirk at her and thrust into her yearning hole at the same time as Cornelia pushes her body forward. Lianne's head shoots to the back in an instant and she cries out in a high-pitched moan. I wrap my arms around her petite body and we begin the assault.

"OHHHHH! OHHH! OHHH SWEEEET… FUCKKKKKK!"

All the leftover decorum is thrown out of the window as two spears pierce the Queen's holes. Lianne shakes, quivers, and trembles while making ecstatic faces and expressions. She clenches her teeth whenever we time our thrusts and nail both of her lewd passages simultaneously.

We try to find a rhythm allowing us to poke her insides interchangeably, making it a bit less stimulating for the overloaded Queen, but it isn't always possible.

Okay, it is with our mental connection, but neither of us wants to miss seeing Lianne completely broken by double penetration. This might be the only way to get the upper hand on our lovely, petite nymphomaniac. Only Cornelia knows what inconceivable things she tried herself with her fingers or toys received from me.

"OHHHHH! OHHHH! SOOO GOOOD! OHHHHH! I LOVE YOU! OHHHH! BOTH!"

We smirk at each other with Cornelia and share a nod. Her spontaneous idea turns out to be the best one. I can also tell she was telling the truth. She clearly has a lot of fun railing her friend from behind and watching Lianne squirm during her actions like a total slut.

"KEEP AT IT! OHHHH! PLEASE! OHHHHH! DEEPER!"

Another squeeze tightly embraces my cock as Lianne reaches her next high. I stop for a brief moment but Cornelia keeps nailing her ass repeatedly. Our orgasming Queen's eyes roll to the back as her eyelashes flutter wildly, jumping in sync with the pounding she receives.

Each thrust makes her snatch clench on me even more, increasing the pleasure for both of us. I pepper Lianne's alluring neck with a myriad of kisses in the meanwhile. She's a gorgeous little woman, so appetising and enticing. For someone as petite to be a mother of a grown-up man and a respected queen, it's just something out of pure fantasy.

The moment she finishes her high, we switch it up a little with Cornelia.

I pick Lianne up and get on my knees. She quickly wraps her arms around my neck and keeps moaning into my face. The hammering doesn't stop. I bring her legs up while thrusting into her pussy in mid-air. She pulls me into a brief kiss which is quickly broken by a powerful cry of pleasure when my copy spears through her anus from below.

Cornelia presses her body into the Queen from behind and brings her face over Lianne's shoulder, drilling her friend's backdoor as hard as she can. Our bodies smack together in the accompaniment of loud, lewd noises. Copious amounts of mixed love juices splatter on the sheets, joined by Cornelia's sweet nectar dripping from her aroused crevice.

My mischievous magician wife pushes the Queen's face aside with her cheek and steals my lips from her. Lianne shoots her a glare but can't do much more under the intense care of her subordinate.

For a while, the two women fight each other over the surface of my lips, making me chuckle a little. It's a sight I would have never expected to experience. How much my life has changed since the very beginning is just unimaginable. I'm a little scared of what the future might hold in store for me.

Both I and Cornelia notice Lianne approaching another, quite a big orgasm and we sync our movements again. She lets the Queen have my mouth for herself during that moment and we thrust as deep as we can at the same time, bumping Lianne's small frame strongly.

She screams in pleasure and shivers during the powerful high. I, naturally, join her and let the wave of heat overcome me, gifting Lianne with the last load of my very special, white delicacy.

After we finish, her head drops on my shoulder while her body keeps faintly shivering. Cornelia gently withdraws herself from the Queen's anus and helps me lay Lianne on the clean part of the sheets. We rest on her sides and watch our mutual friend gradually come back to her senses.

"That was… Haaaaah… The best sex of my life… Haaaaah…" Lianne admits with a wide smile.

We chuckle together with Cornelia and high-five each other above her trembling body.

"I didn't get too intense, did I?" she asks.

"Oh, no, no, no. I loved every second of it, Cornelia." Lianne giggles adorably. "It felt so amazing when you joined in, so different from when I used toys myself. That was the best present ever. Well, that and you bringing Alastair here."

She turns her face to me and shows a soft smile. I scoot myself closer and hug her gently from the side.

"I'm glad you've made up your mind. I really didn't want to pressure you too much, even though I know I already did with the gifts and everything."

"It's okay. To be fair, I was already going to take the step when we met in your mansion but I was hit with doubts when I saw you. You remember how it went. I couldn't satisfy myself with anything for a week after experiencing your touch. Ugh…"

"That sounds horrible." I graze over Lianne's smooth belly with my fingers and place a gentle kiss on her cheek. "I will gladly help you out with whatever you need. Just say a word."

"All she needs is your cock in her pussy." Cornelia smirks at us.

"That's not true!" Lianne denies. "There's butt too…" she then adds quietly.

I chuckle and shake my head. "I guess that's my fault. I was the one who introduced you to the pleasures of anal. I get that the lube worked well?"

"Too well," Cornelia answers instead. "Now that we three are all in this, I have so much to tell you about her truly insatiable desire. She went so hard on her butt after your suggestion she literally passed out with a dildo in her ass. If a maid had walked into her like that, Goddess knows what rumours would spread around the castle."

A big flush reappears on Lianne's face after subsiding just moments earlier. Perhaps people of this world are all secretly into anal, considering my recent experiences. Speaking of which, I wonder how Ghilerie is doing. I hope the fun stuff I left them with is enough for her and the Elder.

"We will have to save the stories for later, Cornelia." Lianne smiles at us a little shyly. "Your friends await us, don't they? And it's not like you came to the castle just for me. You surely must be busy after returning moments ago."

"I agree. We better wrap things up here before Ross decides to check on us checking on you. That would be a catastrophe."

"Oh, it would. It would shatter his worldview." Lianne chuckles softly and raises herself on her elbows. "Good Goddess. I'm completely wrecked. Look at how much seed flows out of me and covers my entire body. I really look like a total slut, don't I?"

Cornelia snorts and a smile forces itself on my lips. It looks like I have a lot to learn about the casual side of the Queen.

We don't waste any time and jump right into cleaning up with magic. I let Cornelia give Lianne a hand while I take care of the bed and the chamber as a whole. We did stain quite a few pieces of furniture. An imprint of a certain petite lady's front is still clearly visible on the tall, oval mirror, with all the spicy details and trails of both semen and her love juices covering its surface.

It takes us just a moment and we meet on the bed again afterwards. Lianne has a bit of a problem walking without suddenly shivering so we help her dress up. Cornelia fixes the Queen's hair back to its proper, magnificent state.

Naturally, for me, her white hair could stay completely dishevelled and she would look no less magnificent and royal, but someone of her standing has to keep the appearances no matter what or where. That actually reminds me of one important thing.

"Lianne, what happens with us now?" I ask as we are finishing our preparations.

"Well, I would really love to take you as my husband but all of us here know that's a tad difficult. Many nobles would raise a fuss, for sure. I don't think any of us wants to trouble Ross with that, right?"

I nod. "True."

"Honestly, the best option would be for you to become a figure equal to a king or even bigger. No one would say anything about the Queen joining the harem of someone like that. Unfortunately, I don't think revealing what you really are would have any effect on the current residents of Evaneheim," Cornelia adds.

"Cornelia is right. Barely anyone respects the old traditions and vows. And, plenty of nobles and officials are corrupt too."

"Yeah. That's why I think you two should remain hidden for now. We can take time thinking about something suitable. Who knows, maybe Al will manage to get rid of the Abyssal threat and become the world's Hero. Him getting with the Queen then would be nothing."

Lianne chuckles. "Just like in the stories. With a bit more sex, though."

I roll my eyes and chuckle too. She's already opening up with her strong desire.

"Until that happens, you can just come to us through the tunnel whenever. We can do the same, of course. Many servants already noticed how you looked at Alastair and they are extremely loyal to you so we don't have to worry about any big rumours. They want the best for you. Especially after you suffered so much without a husband."

"I'll try not to make things awkward with my presence too much," Lianne promises.

"That shouldn't be a problem. Though, visiting us during the next week might be a little special," I reply.

She notices Cornelia averting her gaze with a tiny blush. "Why?"

"Well… We both are going to walk around the mansion… completely naked…"

"What?" Lianne blinks a few times. "Why would you?"

Cornelia sighs heavily. "I made a stupid bet and now I have to suffer, that's why. I'm never betting against him again."

I smile and nod. "Pretty much that."

Lianne eyes me up and down, pausing at my covered crotch. "I can see how it could be problematic. I'm not sure if I would be able to hold myself back seeing that magnificent cock just hanging around the mansion."

"Great Goddess… Another one…" Cornelia swipes down her face, making me chuckle.

After another round of giggling and chuckling, we finally leave Lianne's bedroom. She catches a pair of servants and explains that it needs some more in-depth cleaning after she partook in her usual activities. They hastily pay their respects and rush to do their job.

It's a bizarre thought knowing that the servants in the castle know exactly what those activities are and that's why they are usual. But, I guess not much would escape their attention with the nature of their work.

Lianne has to lean on me for assistance or she trips every few steps her wobbly legs make. It looks almost comical but much more romantic, actually, since we walk shoulder-in-shoulder.

We soon arrive where my ex-students are chilling and join them to rest a little bit after our intense exercise. Ross soon comes back too, completing the group to the last important member, now also including Lianne, which he most likely won't be aware of for quite some time.

Snacking on some light foods and drinking fine wine, we discuss various things for about an hour before everyone goes their way. Lianne leaves with Ross, not without sneaking a wink at me, and our group heads out of the castle. We are going to split outside for now and see to our own responsibilities.

Shortly before we reach the exit, Vanessa stops us and turns to me.

"I would like to speak with you alone before we part ways, even temporarily, Alastair."

I glance at the others, especially Shino and Natalie, and nod at the princess. "Sure. Go ahead, guys. Don't wait for us."

They continue on their path while we step into a simple room, closing the doors behind us. I activate Hall of Serenity just in case.

"I'm sorry for bringing you out like that for no reason but I just wanted to properly apologise without everyone around, and also thank you for being so understanding. You didn't have to. Yet, you did a lot to open my eyes, letting yourself experience my unjust treatment. I—"

I walk closer and put my hands on Vanessa's shoulders. "This is already in the past and we talked about it. I accepted your honest apology earlier. There's no need to go that far, you know?"

"Thank you." She smiles faintly.

Surprising her a little, I pull her into a gentle hug, patting her back with one hand and brushing through her golden hair with the other.

"You had it much worse than me. Getting someone a little angry at me is nothing compared to your pain. Let me apologise for what I did, no matter if it was just, unjust, right, or not. Know that I will always be here if you want to talk about it, or just sit together in silence. I know it's tough for you right now. I lost someone in the past too. You are an incredible girl. Just keep being yourself and you'll push through."

A little hesitant at first, Vanessa returns the embrace and we stand together in the middle of the room for a brief moment.

"Thank you…" she whispers again.

"Don't be afraid to reach out to Shino too," I add. "She truly considers you her close friend and was very sad to learn what happened. Both of us will do what we can to help so don't bottle it up. It's very unhealthy. When it's too hard, just let it out. I promise you, you will feel much better afterwards."

After a few seconds of silence, I start backing away slowly when a very quiet sniffle reaches my ears. Quickly stopping myself, I hug Vanessa even closer and lovingly stroke through her hair. Not as much as earlier but she lets some tears flow down her cheeks.

For as long as she needs, I just remain still, allowing her to use me to let out whatever she stored inside and didn't release back in the mansion. It only takes a few short minutes but Vanessa looks a tad brighter afterwards and gives me a nice smile with a grateful nod.

We soon leave the room and try to catch up with the others while I keep reassuringly rubbing her arm as we walk side by side. There's nothing deeper in this. Just a friend comforting another friend. That's what she needs the most right now.

Out of the castle, we bid farewell for now. Shino joins the others and leaves with them after shyly pecking my cheek. Cornelia and I nod at each other and head towards Jericho's place.