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Valeria had practically jumped off his lap and started walking toward his bedroom.

“Why… why do you want to do this to One?” Valeria asked. “I kind of understand it from my own point of view but she doesn’t like to be hurt. Does she?”

Getting up, Alex had to adjust himself in his pants. Valeria had surprised him by sitting in his lap. It’d certainly done wonders to perk his spirits right up, so to speak.

“No. She doesn’t. But I think she might like the emotional pain of it,” Alex said, getting up out of the chair. “And she might be somehow thinking that she’s the only one who can fill the need I have. Before this, she was also taking on a martyrdom complex.”

Alex entered the bedroom, and found Valeria had shimmied out of her dress. She was sitting on the edge of his bed, waiting. Looking as lovely as ever.

“I get the impression she isn’t as broken as… well, as me,” Valeria said. “She’s just stuck in her own mental things.”

“Fair assessment. I broke her martydom already, and have more or less taken away the ability for her to think of it as anything other than it is,” Alex said. Pulling off his clothes he thought hard on Riley.

Now that he was really thinking about it, he wasn’t sure he needed to bed Valeria in front of Riley anymore.

Her mentality was fairly healthy now. She still seemed to sneak in to watch him with other women, but it didn’t happen as often anymore.

Actually. It might not help Valeria to put a reason behind this. It might be better for her to be no reason at all.

That it’s just for her.

Turning to the bedroom door, Alex closed it. Then he grabbed the nearby dresser and pulled it in front of the door.

“Nevermind,” Alex said, turning to look at Valeria. “I think… I think I just want to love you, for you. No audience, no reasoning, just because you deserve it.”

Valeria turned deathly pale at his statement.

“Alex… I don’t…” Valeria said, her hands coming up to press to her stomach. “I don’t deserve it though. I don’t. I want to believe I do but I don’t. I’ve killed a lot of people. I’ve done terrible things.”

Alex shrugged his shoulders as he walked over to Valeria.

“And? Even if we’re the villains in this drama, this story, this life, you deserve love, at least from me,” Alex said. Leaning down, he kissed Valeria tenderly, his hands cupping her cheeks.

Valeria kissed him back hesitantly, her hands coming up to rest on his shoulders.

Leaning back from her, he smiled.

“Don’t you?” he asked. “Besides. Isn’t Valeria Marsh dead? You’re Three. My Three. And Three deserves a lot of love.”

Valeria blinked several times, staring into his face.

“I’m Three,” Valeria said, slowly nodding your head. “Valeria Marsh… died. You’re right. She died, and I’m what remains. And I’m not her.”

“You’re not her. You’re my Three, and you deserve all of my love,” Alex said.

“I’m Three,” Valeria said, nodding her head. She smiled at him, all the fear and apprehension in her eyes vanishing. “And I do deserve your love.”

Scooting into the bed, Valeria laid down in the middle of the bed, and held her arms open to him. She spread her knees apart, splaying her entire self open to him.

“Come and love me, Alex,” Valeria said.

She chewed at her lower lip as if she was thinking about something.

“Love me lots but… uhm, still… still hurt me? I still want that.”

“Of course. You wouldn’t be you without that desire,” Alex said with a chuckle and waited beside the bed. “Do you need any toys today or do you want something else?”

“I think I want just a little physical pain? Just a bit. And maybe some… domination?” Valeria asked. She’d become very frank and honest with him about what she exactly needed. It helped him immensely.

Smiling, Alex got into the bed and moved over to Valeria. She’d remained as she was, arms extended toward him, her knees spread wide.

No sooner than he was close enough, Valeria wrapped him up with her arms and began drawing him in close.

As soon as she was able, she kissed him, her tongue slipping into his mouth and sliding along his own.

Settling down atop the beautiful noblewoman and assasin, Alex got his hips up between her thighs.

“I love you, Alex. I know… I’m just a concubine, a Numbered, but I genuinely love you. So much,” Valeria said, staring up at him. The fear was there. Fear that she didn’t deserve it and was afraid she’d lose it all by admitting she loved him.

((Partial Redacted throughout. Imagine obvious things are happening. Its really rather inconvenient for this to be censored. Trying to add in relevant and useful Plot at the same time))
 

As I love you, Three,” Alex said. “As I’ve loved you for a while, and will continue to love you. More as a wife, than a concubine. But you’ve suspected that for a while. You just never really heard me say it.”

Valeria nodded her head fractionally.

“Then… why am I still Three? Why am I just a Numbered?” Valeria asked.

“Do you want to be Valeria again?” Alex asked.

“I… I don’t know. I like being Three. I am Three. It feels more my name than Valeria. Would you be upset if I wanted my name back?” Valeria asked.

“No,” Alex said, kissing her tenderly for a moment.

“I… I’m Three, then. I’m your Three,” Valeria said. “And that’s what I am forever forward.”

If this is going to be a forever thing… and she wants to tie her soul to me… shouldn’t I give her the chance to flee?

“Then I release you from all of your oaths to me, Valeria,” Alex said, kissing her again.

There was a sharp cracking noise, but nothing changed.

Valeria suddenly had a vice like grip around him with her arms, pulling him down roughly into herself. Pulling her head back from the kiss, she stared at him.

Scared and confused, she didn’t seem to know what to make of it.

“You’re not throwing me away, are you?” Valeria asked.

“No,” Alex said with a chuckle as she pulled him close.

“You’re… giving me back myself and loving me,” Valeria said. “Just like you said.”

Alex reached over and gently took Valeria’s hands in his own. Then he pulled them up above her head, and held them atop one another at the wrist with his left hand.

“Alex, I’m your Three, I give you all of myself, body and soul. All of myself to you. And I swear to all my oaths all over again,” Valeria said, her voice taking a firmness to the statement.

Laughing, Alex kissed her, tightening his hand on her wrists.

“Then the first order for you my beloved Three,” Alex said. “Have you taken mother’s bane this month?”

“No, I’m taking it tonight,” Valeria said.

“No more mother’s bane for you. Ever again,” Alex said. “Every time we couple will be a roll of the dice for you.”

Valeria’s eyes widened, her cheeks coloring.

“Ok, Alex. No more mother’s bane for me. Ever again,” Valeria said.

((Redacted and jump to section end))

 Leaving his bedroom into his study, Alex paused.

Nannie, Riley, and Eleanor were all waiting for him. The three of them were the tender hearted ones in his Numbered.

He hadn’t seen Nannie, Riley, or Eleanor since he got back from the capital. The three of them seemed to be waiting for him specifically.

“Master,” Riley said, getting to her feet. She quickly rushed over to him, the clapper on her tag tinkling with every step.

Dressed in her “Brit maid” uniform as he’d come to think of it, she was as alluring as ever. Her overwhelming bust looked like she was going to split her own blouse.

Her red hair bounced with her , hanging at her shoulders, and her green eyes saw only him.

“Master,” Riley said, pressing her face into his chest. She hugged him with all the force she could muster. “I missed you. I love you.”

Smiling, Alex kissed the top of Riley’s head.

“Hello. I missed and love you too, One” Alex said, kissing her quickly. Lifting his head he then he looked to Nannie.

He knew the big murderess was the same as Riley, she just had an impossible time of showing it.

Her blonde hair was growing out, only the tips were black now. Her leather armored was tight around her, crushing her impressive chest down.

Meeting her warm blue eyes though, he saw right through her.

She wanted to bounce over to him in the same way Riley had. To hug and hold him.

“Come here, Five. I’m going to hug you, and kiss you, and you’re going to accept it,” Alex said, keeping his left arm tight around Riley, gesturing with his right hand.

Standing up, Nannie looked annoyed, but she did as he’d instructed. Coming over to him, she looked down at him, a small smile slowly forming.

Reaching up, he pulled Nannie’s head down to his own and kissed her. Several seconds passed like that before he released her, and wrapped his right arm around her, pulling her in close.

He’d been gone far longer than he’d originally intended. The king had kept him waiting for over three weeks.

What was supposed to be one week took three and a half.

He’d missed them all.

“Alright. One of you needs to surrender your spot for Eleanor, she’s getting a hug and a kiss too,” Alex said.

“Uhm, I’ll just… move over under Five. Six can have my spot, but I’m not letting go,” Riley said.

Shuffling to one side, Riley literally wedged herself up under Nannie, but didn’t let go.

Nannie only laughed at that, her acidic and violent personality having melted considerably over the last four months.

Looking to Eleanor, his knight, he lifted his left arm and waited. Her short brown hair was allowed to hang free, and it framed her face perfectly. Her dark blue eyes watched him with a fair amount of embarrassment. She hated displays of effection more than Nannie did.

More so because she was still pretending on some level to not care for him.

“Master, I-”

“Six, I love you,” Alex said simply, waiting.

Looking down and to the side, Eleanor sighed.

“I know,” she said. Getting to her feet she came over to him. “And… I love you, too. But must you make us all show it like this?”

“Yep, because the sooner you all realize you’re all equals, in the same exact spot, and the same, the easier it is for all of us,” Alex said. Getting a hold of Eleanor’s shoulder, he pulled her in quickly, and kissed her. Though feeling a bit impish for her delay, he pushed his tongue into her mouth, and kissed her much more aggressively.

Eleanor fought him for a split second, then let herself be pulled in to his side.

Breaking the kiss, he pulled on all three women, trying to crush them with his arms.

“It’s so good to hold all of you,” Alex said.

“Not into that, Alex,” Nannie grumbled.

“I’m only yours,” Riley said immediately.

“Maybe… maybe with Seven?” Eleanor said after a few seconds, surprising them all.

Laughing, Alex released them and took a step back.

“Consider me happy to see all three of you, but you were laying in wait for me. What’s up?” Alex asked.

“I think… I think there’s a problem, Master,” Riley said.

“Okay, and?” Alex said.

“We think there’s a fuckin’ spy,” Nannie said, shaking her head. “And that a Numbered is involved.”

What? I don’t even… that’s not possible.

“Explain it to me, be direct, and tell me who,” Alex said.

“It’s… strange,” Eleanor said. “One explained it to me and I added some information I’d seen as well and well… it’s Three.”

Valeria!? What?

“I found a note she deliberately left out. She put it down in front of me, and left,” Riley said. “It was yesterday. After… after lunch.”

“She often did the same with me while we were alone before we left for the capital,” Eleanor said. “I thought she was just being strange or misplacing them, so I kept putting them back in her room.”

I don’t even understand.

“Wait. You’re saying she’s a spy for someone else… but she… was deliberately making you aware of it?” Alex asked.

“I guess that’s what we’re saying,” Eleanor said.

“I think she’s under an oath,” Nannie said, nodding her head sharply. “Three isn’t a rat, but something is wrong with her. She’s probably trying to act within the confines of what she’s sworn to.”

She was under an oath previously.

To someone before me. But I thought my deals superseded others’?

They can. But not always. There are certain gods and goddesses I can’t over-ride.

Fuck!

Alright. That means that Valeria is still stuck under the original oath that bound her.

Those were to the Ridges though. Wasn’t it?

“Okay, so, when I first took Three, she was under oath to another noble-family,” Alex said. “I thought I’d ferreted out who it was, but it seems like perhaps they’d left her with far more instructions than I’d figured.

“Maybe even leaving instructions to shift blame if she were caught?”

“Oh, that’d make sense,” Eleanor said, nodding her head. “Before I was released from my contract, I’d been made to swear a number of things in a similar fashion. There are many rules and stipulations involved. It’s likely she could be caught in the same way?”

“Who was she sworn to, Master?” Riley asked.

“The Ridge family,” Alex said, frowning.

“Oh? But they’re dead,” Nannie said. “You set up that elaborate thing for her to kill them. I was there. I remember it.”

“I didn’t,” Alex said, feeling sick. He’d missed it. He’d never even considered it. “Valeria killed the Elder Ridge, and his son. Herself.”

“If… if she was sworn to them, wouldn’t that make it impossible for her to kill them?” Riley asked.

“Yeah… it would,” Alex said with a sigh. “I didn’t even think about it.”

“I didn’t either,” Nannie grumbled, shaking her head. “It just… it just slipped my mind. I never even considered it.”

“Yeah… so… that means she’s still under compulsion, but… from who? What’d the letter say that she left you?” Alex asked, looking to Riley.

“To keep reporting information back. Troop count, finances, what you’re doing. It’s mostly just information gathering,” Riley said.

Nodding his head, Alex realized that he did indeed have a leak. He’d wondered about it several times in the past. That information he hadn’t wanted out, had somehow made it’s way to the public.

Now he knew how it was happening, and he was technically responsible. He’d never considered that Valeria was still suffering under an oath.

“Alright. We’re all agreed then that this is clearly Valeria trying to somehow warn us of what she’s doing,” Alex said. “Right?”

He got three nods back.

“Did you ever read any of the letters, Six?” Alex asked, looking to Eleanor.

“No. I thought she was just being… weird. All of us Numbered seem to have quirks and I thought that was just hers,” Eleanor said, sighing. “I’m sorry.”

“No. It’s alright. The simple fact though is she tried. Then did so here when she had to. Did it list when she was supposed to write back?” Alex asked.

“Tomorrow,” Riley said.

“Great,” Alex said. “Then I know what to do.”

Sighing, he looked to Nannie and Eleanor. “I need you to put Three in Four’s old room.”

***

“Hi,” Alex said, walking into the room.

Valeria was seated at a table, looking nervous, though also happy, if that were possible.

“Hello, Alex,” she said. She’d been disallowed anything to write with, but everything else had been given to her. She lacked for nothing.

“I made a mistake, didn’t I?” he asked.

Valeria blinked, then slowly nodded her head.

“Yeah. Figured. But I think we’ve got it figured out,” Alex said, walking over to the table.

Lifting her chin, Valeria took in a shaky breath, and nodded her head again.

“This is partially why you didn’t deserve love, isn’t it?” Alex asked, not identifying anything.

Breath catching audibly, Valeria nodded her head again, her eyes starting to water up.

“It’s alright. We’ve got it fixed now, and it’s just a matter of solving it. Everyone know’s its not your fault,” Alex said, sitting down next to her.

“Really?” Valeria asked, brushing at her eyes with her fingers.

“Really,” Alex said. Reaching out he put an arm around her shoulders and brought her in close to himself. “I don’t need to fear for my life, right?”

Valeria shook her head. “No.”

“Great. We’ll need to keep you here until after the Vassal’s Feast I imagine. I have a guess, but I’ll not say anything for now,” Alex said.

Valeria nodded her head, her fingers curling into his clothes.

“Alright. Let’s get in the bed. Seems like I should remind you that you deserve love,” Alex said, stroking her back.

Again, Valeria nodded her head.