CC3 -Ch22- (Patreon)

“Let’s go see our Brides,” murmured Ash, wondering just how many of his Alliance this would be. He knew the vast majority of those who had joined his cause were combatants.

The number of support roles were rather limited, though increasing.

Given they were a cultivation based group it had to be expected that they’d be more geared toward fighting. They’d have to branch out into cities and find suitable candidates to fit support roles.

“Yes, we should go greet our comrades,” agreed Jia. “Na, would you be willing to go speak with Hu and make sure he knows that this is not an attack? Since he is riding out ahead there is the distinct possibility that he is already aware of them coming onward.

“Tala, can you do the same for the commander and the city? I imagine everyone else will eventually notice them as well and we need to make sure they do not panic.”

“Yes,” Na said and then turned, stepping off the wall.

“Yeah, fine,” grumbled Tala who pivoted toward the city and stepped off the wall in the same way Na had.

“Thank you,” Jia said despite the two women having already left. Ash didn’t doubt that they’d probably heard her anyways. “We should go greet everyone, then immediately rejoin the royal parade. You will need to present yourself to your wife and insure that people see you do so.

“After all, we are cultivating a perceived relationship with her. You must look like a doting husband who missed his wife.”

There was no bitterness to Jia’s voice or words. In fact, it sounded perfectly like her and without any shifting in her tone.

“I’ve told you repeatedly, and you just don’t listen no matter how many times I say it, they don’t care. None of them care that they’re in a harem. The women of this veil are a hardy lot and they’ll do what they have to,” Locke admonished him mentally. “Being in a harem with a man who doesn’t treat them like property isn’t that onerous of a situation.”

“Off we go,” Locke said aloud and leapt forward, pulling Ash along with her. She and Ash sailed right off the wall and toward the oncoming army.

Ash was reasonably certain this was Yue’s response to the situation, he just needed to confirm it now. He could always be wrong and then they’d have to backpedal pretty hard.

He was fairly certain that he was right, however.

It only took a minute of running toward the oncoming army before he noticed Moira in the sky above.

She was barely more than a dark speck against the blue sky that he wouldn’t have noticed if he hadn’t been looking. It’d been circling above the army originally but was now moving towards him.

Almost as soon as he really got his eyes on her, he could tell she was diving.

Piercing through the sky and straight toward the army they were heading toward. Likely to let them know he was on the way to them.

“I’m glad I went back for my weimao. I almost left it behind this morning,” Chunhua said from beside him. She was floating along the ground in a nonchalant way. Moving at the exact same speed he was running at.

At some point she’d pulled her veiled-hat from somewhere and was now wearing it.

In fact, when he looked to Locke and Jia he found they were wearing theirs as well.

“It would not do for the leaders of the Brides to appear out of uniform,” Jia explained when she caught his eyes on her.

“Okay, I really haven’t asked much about it, and no one offered any information, but what’s up with the Brides of Sheng?” Ash asked, finally putting a question to his curiosity.

“Oh,” remarked Locke in a bland way. “We never did explain it at all to you, did we?”

“As he said, he never asked,” countered Jia.

“We’re all your brides,” Chunhua said as she glided along. “We are all of the Sheng, and for Ashley Sheng. So… we’re the Brides of Sheng.

“Yue came up with it all and got all the uniforms. She put together a manual on how to behave, traditions, expectations, and what we need to do to be proper Brides of Sheng.

“She had Jia, Mei, and Na provide input as well on appropriate etiquette for us. As an example, since we’re you’re brides, no man should look upon us but you. Hence the heavy enchanted veils. We can see through them perfectly, but no one can see us.

“She also put together the hierarchy and had everyone slotted in accordingly. At the top is Mei as she’s the Mistress of the Sheng alliance. Jia and myself are her seconds.

“Na is your handmaiden and holds a special position. As does Locke, Rou, Tala, and Moira. Each was given their own special position.”

Ash was surprised.

It sounded like an entire organization had been put together. All without his input at all and entirely devoted to serving him.

He suddenly felt incredibly awkward and somewhat off with it.

Especially considering that there were apparently standards they were going to hold themselves to, like not being seen by other men. It made him feel like there was going to be an issue with children down the road.

“Yue put in regulations regarding child-birthing,” Jia offered even as they ran on. She was once again able to easily deduce his thinking. “As a Bride of Sheng, we are eternally dedicated to you, so unless you give us a child, it will not happen.

“We must therefore provide two surrogates at some point if you never give us two of your own. We must seek out two children to bring into the Sheng who are worthy and if possible a undiscovered talent. Then raise them as our children for the clan. In that way we can grow the clan without ruining ourselves as your Brides.”

“That’s insane,” Ash said before he could think about it.

“Yes, somewhat,” agreed Chunhua with a simple nod of her head. “But it’s not really that bad. To be honest, I’d rather be without children entirely, but I do agree with Yue’s sentiments.

“To grow the Sheng, we have to birth more of them. For those unfortunate enough to not share a bed with you, they’ll have to do so by other means.”

“Any chance I can get a handbook to read over all this?” asked Ash.

“I already put one in your inventory,” answered Locke. “Secondary wardrobe, book shelf on the interior, far right side.

“Before you ask, Yue didn’t put herself into the organization as any formal position. She’s just a Bride of Sheng. Though I’ll be honest with you, I suspect she’s also buidling a mercantile arm of the Brides of Sheng. Likely she isn’t done with it so she hasn’t announced or introduced it to anyone.”

“This is all… all so much,” muttered Ash.

“To accomplish your goals, we have yet much more to do,” said Jia. “We are only carrying out what we believe needed to achieve your goals, Ashley.”

Hearing that, he fell silent. He had no argument to that as she was absolutely correct.

He’d need a militant faction to support him as well as a mercantile side.

These would be necessary things to build a sect that could dig out the wasted talents of the world. To put everything in place as he wished, this was indeed a needed and logical step.

“You’re just embarrassed because it’s all for you. Don’t worry about it, we understand,” Locke said with a laugh. “It’s just who you are as a person, Ashley, my Chosen One.”

Everyone went quiet as they ran on.

There was nothing else to say, though Ash was glad to see that he’d been right.

The army ahead of them was indeed all belonging to the Brides of Sheng. Their uniforms were finally visible.

Five minutes after that and Ash finally came to a stop. In front of him the entire group had paused in their mad dash to the Imperial City and were now organized in groups.

It reminded him definitively of the royal guard and how they’d addressed their ranks.

Stepping out toward him came two people.

One was clearly Moira, her wings visible behind herself. Apparently there wasn’t enough illusory magic to hide them.

The woman next to him was unknown to Ash.

For all of three seconds.

He knew instantly who it was just by the way she walked and carried herself.

Mei placed one hand to the other in a martial salute and dipped her head to him.

Then was wrapped up in a fierce hug from Ash. To the point that she’d been forced to take a step back to brace herself.

“Mei, Moira, it’s so good to see you two,” Ash said, hugging Mei tightly. Then he held open his right arm to Moira.

The Owl immediately came over and slipped under his arm. By this point, Mei was hugging him in return, whatever decorum she’d attempted to put forth lost.

Holding onto both women, Ash felt much better.

He’d felt a hole in himself with these two being as far away as they were. He could feel that hole more keenly right now that it’d been filled. Could still feel it in fact since Rou and Yue weren’t here.

“You’re… Ashley… this isn’t right as a Bride of Sheng,” murmured Mei who was hugging him back just as tightly.

“You’re my pledged as well as my Bride. So shut up and be hugged. Moira’s not complaining,” Ash said in a mutter, trying to crush Mei now with his left arm while doing the same to Moira with his right.

“She can’t breathe so of course she’s not,” hissed the incredibly durable Mei.

Now that he paid a bit of attention, he could hear Moira wheezing, even as she tried to hug Ash back for all she was worth.

Releasing his hold on her bit by bit till he heard her draw a clean breath, he didn’t let go of either of them. He just held onto them.

“I missed you both. I love you, both,” he muttered, then pressed his face into Mei’s neck and bunching up the veil that hung around her.

After a second, Mei laid her head to his, followed by Moira doing the same.

“I love you, too,” whispered Mei. “And I missed you desperately, Ashley Sheng. My pledged. I thought I would be stronger than this. Apparently I was not.”

Standing there for several more seconds before Ash finally let go of them, he couldn’t deny he felt incredibly buoyed. He’d truly missed them.

“All is well,” Jia said as soon as Ash let go of Mei. “Everything is according to expectations and the missive that was sent.”

“Good. Good work,” Mei said, snatching up Ash’s hand before he could step away. “I’ve brought the entirety of the Brides. Only a handful of recruiters who weren’t Brides yet were left behind.”

Moira leaned in over him at the same time and then pulled her veil to the side.

Her large eyes looked like placid pools. Warm and inviting.

“I love you, too,” she said, gazing at him in an almost rough way. Jia and Mei began discussing the situation at the same time. “I will not part from you again. Ever. It hurt me.”

“I understand,” Ash said, smiling at her. “Everything alright?”

“Yes, but there is news for later,” replied the Owl then gestured to the royal processing that was only now finishing their entry of the city. “I imagine we must enter the city and welcome what looks like the royal family.”

“It can wait,” Ash said then looked to the rest of the women who were arranged out in front of him. He’d had a sudden thought and wanted to act on it.

Releasing Mei’s hand, Ash walked over to the front row of the Bride’s of Sheng.

Not hesitating, he walked up to the woman on the far left, the first in the formation, and hugged her. Holding to her tightly, his hands rubbing up and down her back.

“Thank you for coming, my Bride,” Ash said in a warm voice while holding onto her tightly.

The woman hesitated only a fraction of a second, before hugging him back. Her arms locked around him in a near ferocious way, as if she didn’t want to let go of him.

“Thank you, Husband,” replied the woman in a voice that sounded faltering.

“Oh. Well that’s smart. Greet all your Brides as wives and their loyalty will never falter,” Locke praised him.

Holding the woman for another second, Ash carefully lifted her veil and found a rather attractive looking woman beneath it.

Surprisingly, he even knew her.

It was Zha’s niece, Siu Zha.

She gave him a crooked smile and raised her eyebrows at him.

“I was offered a rather high position if I became your Bride,” she explained. “Yue hunted me down personally and made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. Besides, you were so interesting that I wanted to see where it would.

“With that said, when you get around to bedding me, just… be gentle? My experiences haven’t been kind up to this point and—”

Ash silenced her by kissing her.

It only lasted for a second or two, but he reached up and patted her cheek.

“Be still, Bride Siu,” he said as he pulled away from her. “I welcome you and am glad to see you, most especially. Your words wounded me and made me wish I hadn’t let you walk away.

“We can talk about everything later and in greater detail, but I have to welcome my other Brides.”

“I… okay, thank you, Husband,” murmured Siu in a timid voice. Her eyes were bright and wide, staring at him in an odd way.

Pulling his hand back, he gently rearranged her veil, and then moved to the next Bride of Sheng.

Hugging her just as fiercely as he had Mei, Ash held her.

“Thank you for coming, my Bride,” Ash said once again. To which the woman only hugged him tighter in return.

Once again, he lifted the veil the Bride, and kissed her. To which the woman eagerly responded, her hands pressing into his shoulders and holding him close.

He only had to do this at a hundred more times and he imagined it wouldn’t be a short period of time to do it, either.

But this would be worth it.

He needed these women and he wouldn’t overlook their dedication to him.

“Two-hundred and sixty seven more times, actually,” Locke advised him. “But as you already pointed out, it’ll be well worth it.

“I can already see the statues of all these pledged women growing larger. Stronger. You’re making their bonds to you all the more complete.”

Ash was currently kissing yet another Bride of Sheng after welcoming her, and hugging her. He ignored Locke’s words though he did acknowledge having heard them.

He was busy welcoming those who would support him.

His Brides.

***

Stepping up king Hu at the gate to the royal palace, Ash presented the royal seal to the man.

It’d taken a bit of doing to get back into the city before Hu finished his procession and official welcome by the ministers of the city, but he’d managed it.

“Welcome home, your highness,” said Ash, bowing deeply at the waist while still holding out the seal. “I’ve secured your home as well as the city as you ordered. All is as it should be, though I fear I have some particularly bad news for you.”

“Stand up, brother, stand up,” Hu said quickly. He didn’t take the seal, but instead grabbed Ash by the shoulder and attempted to guide him into an upright position.

He didn’t stop until Ash did so, standing up and meeting the other man’s eyes.

“Good, now, what news do you have for me, brother? It seems you did all that I required of you and more, the Imperial City was clearly quite excited to see me,” said Hu with a smirk.

Ash imagined the man had been inundated with requests to remove Ash as quickly as possible.

To the man’s right side as Ju, who was watching Ash with more than a little curiosity.

There was no one else around them that was untrustworthy. The rest of the entourage being left in the city to get up to speed with the ministers.

Mei and Jia were acting as his bodyguards and aides right now, while the rest of the Brides were making an encampment just outside the city.

“Your mother… was involved in the plot on your father’s life. She attempted to take control here from the royal family,” Ash said in a flat voice. “She also murdered everyone in the royal family that was here the day I arrived.”

Hu and Ju both looked shocked at the news. The brother and sister pair giving Ash a near identical gaze.

“Mother… did what?” asked Hu.

“She killed all your siblings, cousins… everyone,” Ash clarified. You, your sister, and Tyan-yu are all that remains of the royal family.

“Additionally to that I suspect that the Realm lord was in on the plot. That he had some part he was supposed to play, but wasn’t able to do so.”

Hu shook his head in shock, looking confused and disbelieving.

“Your mother has been under house arrest since it happened,” continued Ash. “I didn’t feel I could act upon her without your direct approval or orders. Seeing as this is a royal family matter I didn’t think it was part of my… uh… portfolio.”

“No, you’re my brother,” Hu said with a firm shake of his head. There was a distinct crease in his brow and a frown as he spoke. “You’re my brother, Ashley Sheng, and I must ask you to please give me nephews and nieces.

“My sister, my family, will need members. I’m formally ordering you to make sure you provide me with family. At least three, but preferably six or seven. I apologize for the order, but it must happen.”

Turning, Hu faced Ju and stared at her for several seconds.

“Sister? Will you please do this for me?” asked the king.

“I… of course, brother,” Ju said, looking even more shocked and lost now. He knew for a fact Ju had expected to never have children.

That she’d be nothing more than a political piece and her family desires would never be fulfilled.

Now she’d been told the opposite and that she needed to provide a number of children for the royal family.

“Thank you, sister,” Hu said and looked back to Ash. “Though… the news of the Realm Lord… that isn’t something I can solve easily. I’ll have to think on it.

“For now… let’s retire to the family wing of the palace. We’ll need to talk in length about the situation it seems. This is far deeper than the lake I had imagined it to be. It’s now apparent that I’m trying to swim across an ocean.”

Ash couldn’t blame the man, this was all a lot to take in, in a very short period of time.

“I demand to be hugged, kissed, and bedded, tonight,” growled Locke inside his thoughts. “All that kissing got me going just as bad as it did you, and I demand to finally get my share of the Ashley bedroom fun.”

As you wish, Locke Sheng. I promise it.

Hu, Ju, Jia, Mei, and Ash all left as the king had requested.