Broker - CH7 - (Patreon)

Banging open, the door cracked into the wall, making Alex jump in his chair.

Carla strode in, an angry look to her face. Which honestly wasn’t that different from normal.

“Do be a dear and shut the door, Two,” Alex said, looking back down to his writing desk and the letters atop it. “Preferably without slamming it.”

Carla growled and stomped to the door, shutting it.

“Thank you, Two.”

Alex didn’t bother to look back up and continued to read the current letter.

The number of requests for an invitation had skyrocketed the evening of his audience with the king.

It seemed his announcement and the follow up invitations from Walter had gotten the desired effect.

“Well?” Carla asked gruffly.

“Well, what? I’m not a mind reader.”

Alex picked up an invitation scribbled in the name of the woman and a hasty signature. He pressed the invitation to the letter and set it to one side.

“I took my day off,” she said, as if that somehow explained everything.

“Oh? Did you get what you wanted to get done, done? You never did tell me what it was about.

“Huh. That’s an uncommon name. Amelia,” Alex said, peering at the invitation. “Whatever.”

Filling in the information accordingly into an invitation, he signed it, put it to the letter, and set it aside.

“I did. Yes. And no, I didn’t.”

“Ok? Good then.”

Alex finished off the last letter in the pile, and then turned to the finished group of invitations.

Pushing them together into a more compact stack, he picked them up and carried them to another table.

That was full of such stacks.

Dropping them next to the others, Alex went back to his chair and dropped into it heavily.

Looking up he stared at Carla.

“So… what’s up?” he asked, getting the impression she had more that she wanted to say or talk about.

As long as she doesn’t say, “nothing” or “everything is fine” we’re alright.

“I took my day off.”

“Yeah, established that. Unless I’m trapped in a time loop and we haven’t talked about that yet.

“Is this the part where I ask if you got done what you wanted to get done?” he asked with a smirk.

Carla shook her head and looked up at the ceiling.

“You’re going to make me say it aren’t you?” she asked.

“I legitimately have no idea what you’re talking about, and I honestly don’t have the time to play this game. Spit it out, or get out.”

“When are you going to fuck me then!?” she screamed at him, leaning forward.

Alex sat there in his chair dumbstruck.

Logically he knew that was part of their agreement but he hadn’t expected her to think it was due the minute she came back.

“Ah…? I’m sorry I didn’t think-”

“What then? Hold it over my head as another threat? Make deals on it so that you can dangle me along?” Carla asked, her anger ramping up rapidly.

This isn’t going to do her any good to leave it as it is.

Besides, I could use the stress relief.

She had every opportunity to avoid this. She willingly chose this, and made the trade.

And she wouldn’t bring it up if she wasn’t willing to pay.

No one forced her so… why shouldn’t I take my side of the deal?

Holding up his hands, Alex turned his emotions to a neutral place.

“Alright. Let’s get this going then,” he said calmly. “Lock the door, and strip, Two.”

Carla froze up, her body going rigid, then nodded her head briefly. Turning around she locked the door, then moved towards where he sat.

Quickly, without hesitation, she started to undress right next to his desk.

Leaning back, Alex decided to enjoy it.

She was the only pet project he had on hand, so he needed to make sure to get the most out of his deals with her.

If he didn’t want Leah to pull his soul out, that is.

In his moment of distraction, Carla had managed to finish undressing, and let her pants slide down to the ground.

Standing nude in front of him, he let his eyes roam over her.

Fit, lean, muscular, she was every bit the bandit fighter he’d expected.

<<< REDACTED! >>>

“Did you have to do it inside me?” Carla groused, closing her legs and standing up. “Couldn’t have just aimed it elsewhere? It’s bad enough to be your whore, worse if you knock me up.”

Carla turned around and covered her chest and privates with her hands, shuffling over to her clothes.

Ah, thats actually a concern now isn’t it. Is there a plan B in this world? Or birth control for that matter? They invent a condom yet?

Birth control is not viable through the use of condoms, as they are all permeable.

The only valid form of control at this time is Mother’s Bane which can be purchased from any apothecary, though the price is not manageable by the lower classes.

This is effective as both preventative care, and post-copulation.

Huh. Thank you random information from a strange source that I really should question if I ever get the opportunity.

“Tell you what. Since you willingly chose this, I’ll be the one to take the cost of Mother’s Bane. I’ll have a servant pick it up with the pretext of being ready for the ball.”

Carla didn’t say anything, but glared at him over her shoulder. Then she looked away from him. She was trying to get dressed as quickly as she could on the other side of his desk.

Leaning back into his chair, Alex felt better. Pulling open a desk drawer, he peered in to see the state of his soul crystal.

It was pitch black.

Apparently at some point, his deals with Carla had filled up his quota.

Perfect.

“For what it’s worth, Two. That was really good. Definitely what I needed,”Alex said, settling back into his chair and closing the drawer.

“Fuck you.”

“I mean, I’m kinda tired, but we could go again later if you want. It was very worth while and I’d be up for it.”

Apparently that had been one smart ass comment too many, because Carla stopped what she was doing and glowered at him.

***

Alex kept himself from sighing and managed to work a smile up.

The pretty young airheads in front of him giggled and tittered, all vying for his attention.

They were tiring.

Insipid, stupid to the point of damaging ones-self, and clearly working their charm for all it was worth to be his wife.

All in all he wasn’t interested.

Blessedly, the dinner gong sounded.

Alex jumped up out of his seat, practically ran into Carla, and sped off for the dinning hall.

Behind him, he could hear dark chuckling.

“Are you running away?” Carla asked, catching up to him.

“Damn right I am,” Alex said.

“They’re just idiots.”

“That’s the problem.”

Turning the corner he entered the hall and saw a long table in the center.

Wanting to limit who could be near him, he took the corner of a table. It meant having one less person nearby.

They were the first into the hall and no one else was nearby.

“Coward,” Carla hissed, taking up position behind him.

“Shut up or I’ll think up some way to get you bent over the desk again.”

“I’ll fucking kill you first.”

“Uh huh. I haven’t seen any problems. Have you?”

“One. But she’s kept her distance.”

“One? I didn’t notice anyone t-”

“You wouldn’t. That’s the point. Now shut your gob.”

Alex closed his mouth with a click, looking around himself.

Women were taking their seats, a new group of women politely pushing their way into the chairs directly around him.

He wasn’t the only bachelor at this ball, he just happened to be the designated target.

On his right at the head of the table a blonde with more in her cleavage than in her head smiled at him as she took her seat.

Across the way was a red head equally vacant.

On his left a black haired woman in a green dress sat down demurely, and ignored him.

Interesting tactic. Can’t deny I’m curious.

Alex eyed the woman, wondering what she was about.

Everyone else up to this point had been so flagrantly desperate that he couldn’t help but be disinterested.

“That’s the one,” Carla whispered in his right ear, practically pushing her lips into it. “She’s not like the rest.”

Unable to keep himself from shivering, he poked Carla in the chest and pushed at her.

She left without another word, taking up her station again.

Well that makes sense. The one who isn’t playing the same game is the one to watch out for.

I wonder what Carla noticed though. She doesn’t seem out of the ordinary, other than ignoring me.

A servant swept through and put a bowl of soup down in front of him along with a glass of wine.

“And what pray-tell, is this?” Alex asked no one, picking up the soup spoon.

Taking a hesitant sip, he found it was over seasoned for him, and seemed to be some type of tomato base.

Setting the spoon down beside the bowl, he decided he’d rather not try his hand at it.

He had nightmares of being up late at night from eating something that didn’t agree with him.

The blonde and the red head tried to engage him in conversation, to which he merely smiled and nodded his head.

Offering up nothing.

This ball had happened too quickly for anyone who might not be under the king’s thumb to appear.

Everyone here was more than likely in his circle, extended circle, or a hireling.

Alex had no desire to participate.

Something warm slid up between his legs and grasped his manhood through his pants firmly.

Managing somehow to school his response, Alex glanced down to see a woman’s hand in his lap under the tablecloth.

Following it to the left, he found the woman in green caught his eyes, then looked away again.

Certainly the direct approach.

Turning his seat partially, and spreading his knees apart, he squared up to the woman in green.

She had skin that wasn’t quite pale, but was definitely on the lighter side. There was a fine amount of coloring here and there though, hinting at something else in her genetic background.

She had black hair and from the single glance he saw, hazel colored eyes. Her figure wasn’t overflowing like some women around the table, but she definitely endowed enough to hold a mans attention.

“Hello miss, my name’s Alex. Alex Brit.”

The dark haired woman threw him a look, realized he’d turned towards her completely, and slowly faced him.

“Hi, Alex,” she said, giving him a bright smile. “I’m Valeria, Valeria Marsh.”

“A pleasure to meet you,” Alex said. Slowly, he crossed his ankles, one over the other, giving her the best possible angle to do whatever she wanted under the table.

If she dared.

“The pleasure is all mine, Count Brit,” she said, giving him a squeeze through his pants.

I suppose if it wasn’t me, and I was the sad sack of shit who used to be Alex Brit, this would all that would be needed for a roll in the bed.

Someone did their homework.

This is a bit too forward for a noble lady. Even an idiotic one.

“You don’t seem to interested in your appetizer?” she asked, indicating his soup with her free hand.

“Didn’t tempt me. I’m afraid I needed something with a bit more green on it, less red,” Alex said. “I’m sure I could sink my teeth into something like that.”

“Oh?” asked Valeria, her cheeks coloring lightly. She ran a finger along his half erect length in his pants.

“As if you’re one to talk though, you didn’t even dirty your spoon in the soup?”

“I’m afraid I wasn’t terribly interested in it either. I found something more to my liking elsewhere. Something with some more meat to it.

“Thicker.”

“Ah, I think I can definitely feed you something big enough to choke on. If you’d still be interested later on this evening, that is.”

“I have no doubt I’d be interested in it. Though that seems like an awfully long time from now, doesn’t it? Things do change.”

Alex glanced over at Carla who had been watching over him, and the situation, without a word.

“Carla, clear a path for myself and Valeria, we’re leaving,” Alex said.

The armed and armored ex-bandit had a moment of hesitation. He guessed it was because he used her name.

Suddenly her eyes snapped down to his as her name registered.

“Yes, m’lord,” Carla said. Spinning on her heel, she marched towards the door, people moving out of her way as she went.

Reaching into his lap he grasped her hand, and pulled her to his feet as he stood up, dragging her out of the hall.

Well, time to find out what she really wants.

I wonder if I have a dungeon in the mansion?