Harem House Chapter 45 Part 3 (Patreon)

Arthur led the way to the bus, holding Rani’s hand and leading her through the security gate once more. A mid-forties shepherdess at the gate checked their stamps. Secure in their ability to return, they left the gate behind. 

The walk to the bus was pleasant. Arthur held Rani’s hand, and her grip was soft and tender, an emotion he so rarely associated with Rani. She had her moments, but she was far more spicy than sweet. Tender moments like walking side by side in comfortable silence weren’t her usual fare. She rested her head against his arm, which he assumed meant she appreciated his gift of the map as they walked. He hoped she enjoyed their time walking and shopping as much as he did. It had been a nice break, and let them see some of the sights without any ulterior motives. 

Cars covered the grassy fields surrounding the Faire, ungrazing beasts in colorful rows that refused to form a coherent pattern. The sun shone off their windshields and hoods, glaring and reflecting in waves. Most of their occupants were in the Faire, but a few wandered in and out of the gates. Some visitors had left, others ate their lunches in their cars, having packed food. Others reapplied sunscreen and bug repellent or made emergency costume adjustments. 

Arthur wondered if Manasa had eaten. “We should have brought Manasa something. Should we go back and get her something?” 

“I’m bringing you, isn’t that enough for her?” Rani asked. 

“Something to eat, I mean,” Arthur said, chuckling. 

“She’ll gobble you up if you give her half a chance,” Rani said. 

“You shouldn’t pressure her,” Arthur said. 

“I’m not! She’s been blowing up my phone!” Rani said, showing him the texts, though he didn’t have a chance to read them. 

“Rani…” Arthur groaned. 

“You’re bringing her me then,” Rani said, laughing at him. “But trust me, I’m not the one doing the pressuring. Manasa doesn’t get as many opportunities for sex as we do. She’s practically starved, poor thing.” 

Arthur rolled his eyes. “You know what I mean. Should we go back and grab her a turkey leg?” 

“No, she’s vegan,” Rani said. “We could grab her a salad, but you’d have better luck offering her one of Kelly’s smoothies.” 

“Oh, I forgot Kelly packed those,” Arthur said. “Yeah, she can have mine. I can text Kelly to make sure, but I’m sure there’s plenty.” 

Rani grinned. “So she can have your juice?” 

“Kelly packed juice?” Arthur asked, intentionally ignoring her euphemism and leaning into the humor. 

Rani laughed. “You’re a doofus sometimes, you know that? A cute doofus, but a doofus.” 

“Is that a good thing?” Arthur asked, laughing with her. “What’s the difference between a doofus and an idiot?” 

“Hotness, and the general level of irritation,” Rani answered without hesitation. “Hot, harmless, and dumb, that’s a doofus. Ugly, annoying, and dumb, that’s an idiot.” 

Arthur laughed. He knew what she’d been referencing with her euphemism, but he chose to ignore it. He didn’t think his question was that funny, but he was glad it made her laugh. 

They approached the bus, and Rani knocked on the door. Manasa set her book down and slipped out of the driver's seat.

“Miss Shah, Mister Clarke,” Manasa said as she opened the door for them from the inside and stepped down. “Do you need to get into the bus, or are you here for, um, other things?” 

“We need to access the bus, please, but I also need that purse I left with you, and I wanted to drop off my camera,” Rani said, pointing to the camera bag slung over her shoulder. “And call me Rani.” 

Manasa nodded. “Of course.” She held the door for them.

“Have you eaten lunch?” Rani asked as she climbed the steps. 

“Oh, yes, I packed a bag,” Manasa said. 

“Do you want anything from the Faire?” Rani asked. “They have a mac-and-cheese bread bowl. Arthur volunteered to run and fetch it for you.” 

Manasa gave Arthur a grateful expression. “Thank you, but no, I’m not hungry.” 

Arthur slipped inside after Rani. The interior of the bus’s cabin smelled like sex and air freshener. They’d cleaned up after themselves, but it was still an enclosed space. It was dark since the bus was off, and comfortably warm given the cool breeze and hot sun outside. 

Rani took a deep sniff. “Oh, Kat must’ve had a damn good time. I see you brought out the trunk to play as well?” She prodded the traveler’s trunk with her foot as she walked past it. They’d moved it into the spot by the karaoke machine. “Hot.” 

“I uh, have to use the bathroom,” Arthur said, snaking his way past them. 

“You go ahead. Manasa and I can catch up out here while we wait for you. You don’t mind, do you, Manasa?” Rani asked as she sat down. 

“Oh, of course not, Miss Rani,” Manasa answered. 

Arthur eyed Rani, seeing what she was doing, but he didn’t protest. He visited the bathroom. It still smelled like a porta-potty, but it was much nicer than the ones at the Faire, and having a private bathroom was amazing compared to the dirty men’s rooms. He finished, washed his hands, and entered the back of the bus to see Rani and Manasa whispering as they sat on the bench. 

“I’m going to use the bathroom,” Rani announced as she stood. “You two get to know one another.” She winked at Arthur. 

Arthur raised his eyebrows, but stood by the pole as Rani slid past him. 

“She’s down, if you are,” Rani whispered as she passed him. “Think about it? As another gift for me?” 

“We’ll see,” Arthur whispered in response. 

Rani blew him a kiss, gave Manasa two thumbs-up, and closed the bathroom door behind her. 

Arthur looked at Manasa, who looked down at her hands as she sat with Rani’s purse on her lap. She was older, but not by that much, probably around Beth’s age. He wasn’t sure if it was rude to ask, but he was curious. 

“So, Manasa, how old are you?” Arthur asked. 

“Twenty-eight,” Manasa said without hesitation or looking at him. 

“Really?” Arthur asked, surprised. “I thought you were older.” 

Manasa flinched, looking at him in surprise. “I don’t wear as much makeup, I guess, and I’ve always looked old for my age.” 

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that as an insult,” Arthur said. “You just seem more mature. I’m not sure how to explain it. Maybe I’m putting my foot in my mouth.” 

Manasa nodded. “It’s okay. I grew up fast, so everyone says I look older than I am. It’s been that way since I was a teenager.” 

Arthur nodded. Some people appeared younger than they were, while others appeared older. He’d probably age a few years if he put on a beard. Maybe Manasa’s makeup had a similar effect? It probably wasn’t worth interrogating her over. 

“And how old are you?” Manasa asked. 

“Twenty-two,” Arthur said. “My birthday’s early in the school year, and I’m a senior.” 

“Oh, I would have thought older. Rani mentioned you're getting your master’s degree. You are quite handsome, and you have quite a, uh, regal bearing, even in such clothing.” Manasa's eyes wandered over his bare torso. 

Her figure fit his tastes, too. She had a large chest, though her uniform hid most of her lower features. She wasn’t gym-fit, but her body showed she'd put in some effort. Her brown hair was pretty. He hesitated to consider her beauty exotic, because he wasn’t sure if that was insensitive, but he appreciated her beauty nevertheless. She had a pretty face and a compelling maturity. 

Still, she wouldn’t look at his eyes, even as he moved to sit across from her. She moved her eyes to her hands. 

“So, uh, you know Rani?” he asked. “You two have a history?” 

“Yes, I’ve worked for her uncle for a few years now, and I’ve been her driver since she started college,” Manasa answered. “I drive her to and from college.” 

“Oh, like when she visits home?” Arthur asked. 

“Yes,” Manasa nodded. “And on special occasions, like this.” 

Arthur nodded. It made sense. As far as he knew, Rani didn’t have a license or a car on campus. It made sense if she didn’t drive. She didn’t need to if she had someone to drive her whenever she needed to visit her folks. 

“And you’re Rani’s boyfriend?” Manasa asked. “Like, her real boyfriend, not just a fuck buddy?” 

Arthur laughed at the term’s crudity compared to Manasa’s typical formality, but nodded. “Yeah, we’re more than fuck buddies. We have genuine feelings for one another, and I care a lot about her and her happiness.” 

“That’s good,” Manasa said, nodding. “She’s needed that for a while, in my opinion. It sounds like she’s found a relationship that works well for her.” 

Arthur nodded. “She explained our relationship to you, I take it?” 

“Yeah, we talked on the phone before I drove down. Did you know about Rani’s family before the trip? Or did she tell you when she told the others?” Manasa asked. 

“She told me before, but after we started dating, if that makes a difference. I shared my deepest, darkest secret with her, and I think she felt guilty, so she offered me hers.” 

Manasa grinned. “You have deep dark secrets? You seem so normal.” 

Arthur chuckled. “Thanks. So do you.” 

“Does your family have money, like the Shah family?” Manasa asked. 

“They do okay, but no, I doubt my folks have money like hers,” Arthur said, shaking his head. “I’m a business major, though, so maybe I can close the gap over the next few decades.” 

Manasa chuckled. “Good luck.”

“Thanks,” Arthur said, scratching the back of his neck.

Manasa looked down, moving her eyes to her knees. “So, she tells me your group is open to non-romantic partners that you both agree on for fun?”

Arthur glanced at the closed bathroom door, but nodded. “Yeah. Something like that. My girlfriends and I agreed that we can add temporary partners if there are two of us there and we agree.” There were more specifics than that, but he didn’t need to get into the BDSM dynamics with her.  

“So if you, me, and Rani were to mess around while the others were busy, that’d be okay?” Manasa asked, biting her lip. “Or does it need to be everyone?”  

“It’s okay with the three of us.” Arthur nodded. He didn’t know why it was awkward, but the directness made him laugh. Rani was so forthcoming and direct that he should have expected her friends to be too. 

“Do you find me attractive?” Manasa asked. 

“Do you want me to?” Arthur asked, uncertain. “I don’t want you to feel pressured into it because you work for Rani’s family, or because Rani could get you fired or anything.” 

Manasa shook her head. “I trust Rani, and besides, it’s not Rani’s desire, it’s mine.” 

“Oh?” Arthur asked, sitting back in his chair. “Are you bisexual?” 

Manasa nodded. “I prefer women to men, most of the time, which didn’t go over well with my family. So, they threw me out, and I’ve been busting my butt ever since. It doesn’t leave much time for relationships.” 

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Arthur said, not sure what to say about her family. 

“It’s okay,” Manasa said. “It was years ago, and life is much better now. I have the apps for hookups when I want them, and life is my buffet, as they say.” 

Arthur nodded, smiling. “So are we dishes in your buffet? Is that why you want to mess around with us?” 

Manasa blushed. “I have this recurring fantasy about an attractive customer, like Rani, coming onto me, and…” She twisted the fabric of Rani’s bag in her hands as she spoke, rousing her courage to continue. “And convincing me to sleep with them, tipping me with sex, and absolutely fucking ruining me. The idea of a couple doing that is very hot, but I’d never suggest it with an actual customer. Rani’s different, of course, we’re friends, and…” 

“Lovers?” Arthur asked. 

“Fuck buddies.” 

Arthur coughed and considered her fantasy. He had to admit that picturing it in his head was pretty hot. He understood the allure of work fantasies, though they had different jobs. Mindy had a similar fantasy, and so did Beth, so it wasn’t unusual, he supposed, but the directness still surprised him. Playing a couple dominating their chauffeur could make for a fun session. He had a few ideas already and shifted in his seat. 

“Are you usually this direct?” Arthur asked. 

Manasa shook her head. “Oh, no, of course not. Rani just said that, well, you prefer direct and honest communication, and that you don’t pick up on subtle cues. So I should be more direct like she is.”  

“Well, I guess she has a point,” Arthur said, chuckling. “I can be thick, I guess.” 

“Fuck yeah, you can,” Rani said, striding in from the bathroom and shutting the door behind her. “It’s nice and thick.” 

Arthur looked at her, confused. 

Manasa chuckled. 

“So, we fucking?” Rani asked. 

Arthur considered the question. He and Rani had some bonding time while they shopped, so was it time for bondage? Maybe. Sex was a pastime to Rani and a significant means of growing closer to her. Doing something intimate with Manasa would give her the fantasy she wanted and help him grow closer to Rani. 

Manasa was pretty, but she wasn’t someone Arthur intended to develop a relationship with, so was it wrong to sleep with her? No, right? Casual sex wasn’t a moral issue; it was fun. He wasn’t using Manasa or being unfair to her, though there was the possibility that she was using him. Did he mind her using him? No. Besides, he enjoyed treating Rani to her delights. 

Why not jump in and have some fun? It wasn’t what he’d planned for the day, but it could be a fun distraction. She was like Thalia, right? This was more for Rani than for him, but he was getting a fun threesome. To be safe, though, he’d take the reins, just to make sure they didn’t have another flimsy experience like when they tried raceplay. He’d provide Rani with a better experience this time. Besides, this fantasy was one he knew how to play. 

Manasa looked at Arthur, waiting for his answer. 

“Let’s do it,” Arthur said, standing up. “Fair warning, this is going to be more for you than for me, so don’t feel bad if I don’t uh, get there this time. Did Rani tell you the safewords?” 

Manasa’s eyes widened. “Safewords?” 

“We’ll play out your fantasy, and Rani’s,” Arthur said. “If things get too intense, or something happens that you don’t want, or if you need to stop for any reason, just say ‘red light,’ and we’ll stop.” 

“Wait,” Rani said, holding her hand up. “Is this what you want? What about your fantasy?” 

Arthur raised an eyebrow. “Making love to you is my fantasy,” Arthur said, brushing her hair over her shoulder with his hand. 

“Doofus,” Rani said, smiling. 

“Oh, come on,” Arthur protested. “Dominating my proud queen, bending her to my will, and making her serve even this lowly new concubine she’s brought me.” 

Rani gulped and shook out her hands, making her bracelets jingle. “Shit, fuck, yeah, okay, that’ll do.” 

“Okay,” Manasa said, eyeing the traveler’s trunk by the doorway. “I’m not as experienced as Rani is, so uh, is it okay if we ease into it?” 

“Of course,” Arthur said, offering Manasa his hand to bring her to her feet. “Do you have any limits or things you hate that I should know about before we get started?” 

Manasa eyed Rani. 

“I told you,” Rani said, patting Arthur’s chest and resting her hand flat against his chest as she hooked her leg over his thigh. “My King is next fucking level. Not for the faint of heart.” 

“No blood or fluids, beyond the usual ones, I guess?” Manasa asked. “I don’t mind rough, but don’t actually hurt me, okay? I need to be able to drive.” 

Arthur nodded. “That’s all reasonable.” 

“And my, uh, my breasts are very sensitive. Playing with them is a huge turn on, but please don’t be too rough on them.” Manasa said. “Oh, and no spanking. My job is sitting.” 

Arthur licked his lips and lowered his eyes to her chest. He met her gaze afterward, showing her a hungry expression that made her lips part. “Good to know.” 

“Oh, yeah, that’ll work,” Manasa said, her breath catching. “So uh, how do we start?” 

Arthur grinned and looked at Rani. He pulled her to him and kissed her, lowering his lips to hers and sliding his tongue into her mouth. Rani reacted viscerally, sliding her tongue against his and crossing her wrists behind his neck, pulling him closer as she half-climbed him. 

~~~

Kat was enjoying herself. It was fun to watch people she knew smack each other with swords. Mark and Brad’s fight was swift. Mark managed to pop one of Brad’s balloons, but Brad had him down to one at that point. The final pop came when Brad faked him out and smacked Mark over the head with his epee to burst the final balloon. 

Selene and Mindy were halfway through their match when Katelyn, Kelly, and Angie approached the fence where Mark, Maria, Brad, Jen, and Kat watched, cheering them on. Selene and Mindy’s costumes had drawn a crowd as they fenced. Their costumes covered their private bits, and the safety gear covered a bunch, but flashes of skin kept appearing as they fought. Several gentlemen of various virtues and decades of origin lined the side fence. 

Every clash of the epees made strips of fabric on their skirts bounce. Well, skirt was a generous term for the panels of silk and scarves on Selene’s costume. Selene’s chainmail bikini and white silk slave-skirt displayed her curves rather than hiding them as she moved.

The double split in Mindy’s skirt showed every inch of her legs, too. Long strips of black cotton bounced and disappeared between her fishnet-clad thighs. 

Kat tugged the hem of her miniskirt as a few eyes swept her way. She wasn’t flashing anyone, but the draft against her privates kept her legs closed. She missed her thong. It wasn’t much protection from the elements, but it was better than nothing. It had gotten much warmer than this morning, though. The heat of the day blazed down from above, as if the trees surrounding the lake and the Faire were on fire, and not just the colors of a late-night bonfire the week before Halloween. 

“Come on, Selene! Aim for her chest balloon!” Kat shouted her encouragement. She’d taken her sister’s side in the cheering section, but she didn’t have anything against Mindy.

“Did I miss a change in the tournament?” Kelly asked as she slid beside a cheering Kat. 

“You can do it, Selene!” Kat cried, then turned her attention to Kelly. “No, they’re just doing this for fun. Maria beat Jen, Brad beat Mark, now Mindy and Selene are taking a turn.” 

“Oh, okay,” Kelly said, nodding. “Are you fighting next?” 

“Selene and I are heading over to the archery after this,” Kat said. They’d meant to go over sooner, but the fencing was fun to watch, even if it was too active for Kat’s current garb. If she took a fighting stance, her mini skirt would eventually ride up and flash everyone watching. She didn’t need that attention. 

Kelly nodded her understanding. “You can do it, Mindy!” 

A new voice calling her name made Mindy turn to see Kelly waving at her. The distraction cost her a balloon. Selene lunged forward and stabbed the black sphere on her chest. 

“Two-three!” Maurice, the scorekeeper, shouted. 

“Oops,” Kelly said, grimacing. 

Katelyn patted Kelly on the back. “She can still make a comeback. Look, she’s got one balloon left.” Katelyn pointed to the balloon on Mindy’s right shoulder. Meanwhile, Selene still had her chest and head balloons. 

“You can do it, Mindy!” Maria cried. She stood beside them with her arm around Mark. 

Mindy wasn’t a skilled swordswoman, but she did her best. The bulky safety equipment offset Selene’s natural grace and practiced athleticism, neutralizing her flexibility as they fought. Her instinct to dodge instead of deflect had cost her two balloons so far, and it cost her a third as she ducked a swipe from Mindy’s sword that caught her head balloon and popped it against her helmet. 

“Three-three!” Maurice cried from the rear gate. “This is a close one!” 

“You can do it!” Don, the other worker, cried from the equipment table as he helped the next person in line into their gear. A few of the guys watching had decided to give it a try. 

“That looks like a lot of fun,” Angie said, making Kat, Maria, Jen, Mark, and Brad turn toward her at once. 

Kat remembered her from the lunch canopy, but gave her a closer inspection now. She appeared their age, but her face was pudgy, and she had extra jiggle in her arms. Not that Kat had an issue with that. She wore it well, and it gave her face a cuter appearance than Kat’s harsh features. For some reason, even though Kat’s body was rounder than Selene’s, her face had always been harsher. 

Meanwhile, Angie’s cleavage above her bodice was full, and her Tudor-style gown bore intricate embroidery. The dark blue and gold motif looked elegant, though Angie didn’t carry herself with any specific poise. If anything, she looked awkward, standing there, waving hello. Kat almost felt sorry for her and wondered why Katelyn and Kelly had brought her with them. She hoped it wasn’t for the reasons she suspected. 

“Hi! I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Maria.” Maria offered Angie her hand for a handshake. 

“I’m Angie,” Angie said, shaking her hand. 

“I’m Jen,” Jen said, gesturing to herself. 

“Brad.” Brad raised his hand. 

“Mark.” Mark raised his hand.

“And this is Kat,” Kelly said when Kat failed to introduce herself. In her defense, she had already returned her attention to Selene and was busy encouraging Selene to kill and slaughter Mindy. 

“Don’t worry if she’s a bit prickly,” Katelyn said. “She might be feral, but she’s a sweetheart once you get to know her.” 

“Oh, because of the jungle costume?” Angie asked, smiling. “You look great.” 

Kat gave her a fleeting smile at the compliment and raised an eyebrow at Katelyn. “You made a friend?” Kat asked. 

“Yeah, this is Angela’s granddaughter, Angie. We ran into them at the tattoo stall. She needed an escape from family, so we figured she could hang with us for a while,” Kelly said. 

“Uh, huh,” Kat said in a tone that suggested Kelly might have ulterior motives. “Selene’s been scouting people, too.” 

“Oh, it’s not like that,” Kelly said, shaking her head and waving her hands. “We just made a friend!” 

“Sure,” Kat said, nodding as if she understood. 

The idea of an orgy had clearly taken root among the others. That was great for them. They all liked women, and if they could hunt out some bisexual or lesbian hotties, that meant more Arthur for her. The downside was that if those girls were interested in Arthur and not the other girls, she had more competition for Arthur’s attention. So, was Angie a distraction or a competitor? Or maybe it would be better to stop thinking of people in that way. Arthur hadn’t enjoyed her teasing comments about his flirting. 

“Anyway, it’s, uh, nice to meet everyone,” Angie said, curtseying in her Tudor gown. “Forgive me if I have to ask your names a few more times.” 

“Eh, don’t worry,” Katelyn said. “There are a lot of us. Even I get tripped up on names from time to time.” 

Kelly chuckled. “Most people get tripped up over Kat and Katelyn.”

“That’s why the volleyball girls just call us the Kats,” Katelyn said, chuckling, and flicking the silver bell on her pink collar. 

“Cute,” Angie said. 

Kat returned her attention to the fight, but Kelly put her arm around her and squeezed her. “Everything okay?” 

“Yeah,” Kat nodded. “Can Selene and I still do our tournament bracket? Or does she need to run off and get her tattoo?” 

“Oh, you still have time,” Kelly assured her. 

“Oh! Way to go, Mindy!” Maria cried, applauding as Mindy popped Selene’s final balloon. 

Mindy raised her arms in victory as Selene hung her head in shame. They laughed and hugged each other before making their way out of the ring. The guys watching cheered more for the hug than the victory. If they only knew. Kat could still hear Mindy’s gasping moans from the bus.  

Kelly approached Mindy as soon as she left the gate. Kat had to assume it was to drive away the guys lingering at the edge of the tent, waiting for Mindy and Selene. The crowd that gathered at the edge had been keen to introduce themselves to the two sexy young women, even though some of them were old enough to be their fathers.  

Kelly kissed Mindy after she removed her helmet, despite the salty sweat on her lips. “You did great!” 

“Thanks!” Mindy beamed. 

Katelyn did the same to Selene, kissing her and leaving her arm around her. Kat’s eyebrow twitched. Selene seemed as surprised as Kat, but she returned the kiss before breaking away with a smile. Annoyance rose in Kat’s stomach, but she stomped it down flat. 

Katelyn was free to kiss whoever she wanted in the harem, but it was weird to see her kiss the others. She’d never thought Selene was bisexual until the harem started, and now Katelyn was showing bisexual tendencies. Kat wondered how much of it was performance for the guys now turning away from the tent, and how much of it was because Katelyn wanted an excuse to kiss someone.

“Smooth,” Maria said, as they rejoined the others. 

“Well, Arthur’s not here, so somebody had to do it,” Katelyn laughed. 

“No word from him or Queenie?” Selene asked.

“No, I imagine they’re still on the bus,” Kelly said. 

“It’ll probably be a while, that’s what, Master’s fifth time today?” Selene asked. “Once when we woke up, you before we left.” She gestured at Kelly. “Katelyn on the bus ride, and Kat after her blowup.” 

“Ahem,” Kat cleared her throat and nodded toward Angie. The young woman had both eyebrows raised toward the sky, but looked away with some heat on her cheeks when everyone turned to look at her.  

“Oh! Hi!” Selene said, cheery as ever, as if she hadn’t just been discussing how many times Arthur had cum that day in front of a stranger. 

Selene hadn’t said anything that would explicitly declare what she was referring to, but it wasn’t that hard to put together. Arthur was their boyfriend, and he’d had a busy day today. They were each pushing for him to have the best day possible after last night’s drama. Poor man, by the time they made it to the orgy tonight, he’d be drained and exhausted. 

“Maybe I should go check on Arthur and Rani?” Mindy asked, which was more of a suggestion. 

“You need to go get your tattoo,” Kelly said. 

“Can’t blame me for trying,” Mindy shrugged. 

“Selene, and Mindy, this is Angie, Angela’s granddaughter,” Kelly made the introductions.

“Angie…” Selene tapped her chin. “Why is that name familiar?” 

It sounded familiar to Kat, too, but she couldn’t place the name or the face. It must have been because it was so close to Angela, the older woman who flirted nonstop with Arthur. He might not call it flirting, but Kat did. Poor Arthur was too hot for his own good, but he hadn’t always been that way, and he couldn’t believe Kat when she told him that most of the women around him were into him. It wasn’t their fault, or his; there was just something primal about him.

“Well, I’m named after my grandmother, who was in the chess match with your boyfriend, I think. I’m not sure who’s part of your group and who’s not,” Angie said, looking over them. 

“Oh, we all are, except Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen, they’re just our friends,” Katelyn said. She gestured to the five of them as Angie’s eyes wandered over them. “And Rani’s one of us, but she's not here at the moment.” 

Their Ren Faire costumes weren’t their typical attire, but each was still beautiful. Kat, Kelly, and Katelyn bore the sisterhood tattoo in different places, and the five of them wore chokers or collars of different styles that matched them, except Kat, who wore a pink rubber choker that contrasted with her one-strap crop top and tattered mini-skirt jungle bikini.

“Come on,” Katelyn said, taking Mindy’s hand. “You and I can get your tattoo. Kat and Selene have to do their archery for the tournament.” 

“Tournament?” Angie asked. 

“Oh, well, we decided to do a tournament between ourselves for fun,” Kelly explained. “Just a little nonsense between girlfriends.” 

“Oh, cool,” Angie said. “So, just so I understand, you all date each other and the same guy, too? You’re all gay?”

“I’m straight,” Kat said, raising her hand and singling herself out. “But the others date each other, more or less, yeah.” 

Angie looked surprised and confused as she looked them over once more. 

“You got a problem with that?” Kat asked, already defensive on the others’ behalf.  

“What?” Angie asked, surprised. “No, of course not. I’m sorry, I’m just trying to wrap my head around the whole modern free-love dynamic. It’s just so different from what I’m used to.” 

Kelly patted Kat’s back. “She lost twenty bucks to her grandmother. Apparently, Angela bet we were poly, but Angie thought Arthur was gay.” 

“To be fair, he’s super hot,” Angie said. “And he introduced you as his girlfriends, so it was one or the other.”

The girls laughed. 

“Come on,” Katelyn said as she squeezed Mindy’s hand. “Let’s get you inked.” 

Mindy giggled and waved goodbye to the others as she and Katelyn headed toward the tattoo artist. Kelly guided the others across the lane toward the archery range, where they had to wait in line. The dozen people ahead of them gave them some time to work out how it worked. 

“So they give you five arrows. Score five points for each ring, and whoever does the best wins,” Kelly said. 

“I’ll help judge,” Maria offered. “I can be impartial.” 

“Good idea. You keep an eye on Kat’s score. I’ll tally Selene’s,” Kelly said. 

“I think I’ll try my hand at archery, too,” Angie said. “Not for your tournament, obviously, but just for fun.” 

“It does look fun,” Jen said, watching the people ahead of them fire their shots at the targets. 

The archery range was an outdoor attraction with wooden dividers built into a low fence. The open range beyond the fence housed large, painted straw targets. A wall of hay bales and a net behind the targets caught any stray arrows. Six people at a time filed past the rope, listened to an instructor who demonstrated how to shoot, took up the strung bows, and fired five arrows each into the targets. When they ran out, the participants filed out for the next batch as two workers retrieved the arrows.

Mark, Maria, Brad, Jen, Kat, Selene, Kelly, and Angie made eight, but with Maria and Kelly scorekeeping, they had a perfect six to file into the archery range when it was their turn. Mark, Brad, Jen, Kat, Selene, and Angie took up their spots and listened to the instructor. 

The old man had a wispy red beard that unfurled to his belt when the wind wasn’t brushing it aside. He dressed in colorful garb, a scarlet archer with an expensive bow in his hand. 

“Ye’ll want to hold the bow with your non-dominant hand, and pull the string with your dominant hand. Turn sideways, hold like so, aim, and release.” The instructor said as he demonstrated. “Notch the feathers, like so, with the odd-colored one out.” He turned the bullet tip arrow so the odd-colored feather stuck out, drew his bow, and fired, hitting the bullseye of Mark’s target. “Do not fire your bow without an arrow!” He fetched the arrow he fired, then moved to their side of the fence. “Okay, pick up your bows, and fire when ready!” 

Selene and Kat aimed carefully, while most of the others let their arrows fly more haphazardly. Selene’s first arrow missed the target, falling short. 

Kat grinned as her first arrow struck the target at the top, sticking into the outermost ring. Five points to Selene’s zero. It was rare that she got a chance to outshine Selene in something athletic. There was a chance Kat could win this. Both adjusted their aim to compensate after their first shot, and their second arrows struck nearer to the bullseyes. Ten points each. 

Selene hissed as the bowstring caught her right forearm when she fired her third arrow. She bit her lip and closed her eyes. The stall wall wasn’t long enough to block Kat’s view. 

“Are you okay?” Kat asked. 

“Yeah,” Selene said, taking a deep breath. “Fuck this belt, though.” 

“It was the belt’s fault?” Kat asked, confused. 

“No, but I’ve learned my lesson, and every little thing is just, ugh,” Selene drew in a long inhale.

Kat chuckled. She knew Selene was wearing a chastity belt under the white silk she used to disguise it. It had nothing to do with her score, but the poor girl must be keen to get some pleasure, and the pain from the bowstring was an aphrodisiac to Selene. Still, Selene’s arrow flew true, striking the bullseye. 

Kat released a long exhale, drew, aimed, and fired. She managed not to hurt herself with the bow. The pullback on the bow wasn’t heavy. It was enough to launch the arrows forward, but even if someone were to shoot over the wall, the arrows wouldn’t go far. Kat imagined that was by design. She, too, hit the bullseye. Fifteen, plus ten, plus five was thirty to Selene’s twenty-five. 

Kat struck to the left of the bullseye with her fourth arrow, while Selene’s shot landed higher, forty to thirty. 

“Fuck!” Selene grimaced. 

“Are you okay?” Kat asked. 

“Yeah, I just don’t think I can win,” Selene said, pouting. “Damnit! I’m never gonna get this thing off!”

“Calm down,” Kelly said, assuring Selene. She leaned in and whispered against Selene’s ear, so Kat had to lean in to hear. “Even if you don’t win, I’ll talk to Arthur. I’m sure he’ll let me remove it before the after-hours event.” 

“Thank you, Miss–Kelly,” Selene said, catching herself halfway through calling Kelly ‘mistress.’ 

Kelly nodded her assurance and let Kat and Selene fire their final arrows. 

Kat wondered how long it would take Kelly to resume her role as mistress. She claimed she didn’t trust herself, but she was still a natural leader when it came to the harem. Had she gone too far last night? Yes. Should she have listened to Kat and not done the things she did to Lynn? Also yes. Did her refusal to accept the role mean she suddenly stopped being the person everyone looked up to? No. 

Still, Kat didn’t envy her. How did Arthur do it? He had so much self-control and discipline that he never lost control or gave in to his desires, which required so much concentration. Even when she pushed him to the edge, she could never be sure if he lost control or was only acting the part. She trusted him more than she trusted herself to observe safewords and to keep her head in the midst of passion. 

Kat took a deep breath and let her final arrow fly. 

Selene’s arrow struck near the bullseye, and Kat’s landed within it, cinching her victory as Kelly and Maria tallied their points. The others had already finished firing, and the group moved out of the way of the people behind them in line. 

“I did pretty okay at that,” Angie said. Her arrows had struck the target in a variety of spots, but she hadn’t missed the target completely with any of them. “Jen, right? You were amazing.” 

“Aw, thanks,” Jen said, not looking at her target. Kat did, spotting that most of her arrows had fallen inside the bullseye. 

“You did better than me,” Brad said. “I hit the target, though, so I’m happy.” 

Mark laughed. “I only missed once, but the rest of mine landed pretty close together just above the bullseye. It’s hard to aim. No wonder they invented guns.” 

Maria set her arm around Mark again, and Jen and Brad held hands as they walked. 

Angie chuckled. “So what’s next?” 

“Well, we have some free time. Should we do some shopping?” Kelly suggested. “I need to buy a hat.” 

“Oh, I saw a cute hat shop down in the other lane, by the pirate ship,” Angie said, pointing the way. 

“That sounds perfect!” Kelly exclaimed. 

“You go ahead,” Mark said. “Maria and I want to go to the cleavage contest.” 

“Oh, that sounds naughty,” Angie said, chuckling. 

“I hope so! You want to come? You’d have a chance of winning.” Maria said, nodding toward Angie’s breasts. 

“Oh,” Angie scoffed. “No thanks, they only look this good because of the bodice. I’ve got nothing on you. Besides, shopping sounds more fun than getting oggled by a bunch of horny old men.” 

“To each their own,” Maria shrugged. “Brad, Jen?” 

“We’ll come with you, to cheer you on, at least,” Jen said, not volunteering herself to compete with Maria. 

They waved farewell, and Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen left for the cleavage contest while Kelly, Kat, Selene, and Angie walked in the opposite direction toward the hat shop. The walk was quiet, giving Kat a chance to breathe and listen to the thousand and one sounds of the Faire happening around them, at least until Angie broke the silence. 

“So, how did you come to date each other? What’s your story?” Angie asked as they walked. She walked between Kelly and Kat, with Selene walking behind them. “I’ve never met a group relationship before.” 

Selene always walked behind whoever was leading the group. Kat wondered if she was still in slave mode and how Kelly might react to that if she was refusing to be a mistress. Kat sure as hell wasn’t going to take responsibility for her, even if it was a prime opportunity to boss Selene around. 

“Oh, well, we attend the same university,” Kelly said. “Arthur asked me out, but I wanted to keep things casual. Selene approached him, and they started dating. Then Kat and Mindy asked him out. Rani joined Mindy and Arthur’s date, and well, we asked my roommate Katelyn to join us, but that was later.” 

“So he was dating each of you separately?” Angie asked. “Sounds like a player to me.” 

“No,” Selene said, speaking up. “He’s the opposite. But yeah, we convinced him to date casually, then we all had a conversation and decided, why not cooperate instead of compete with each other?” 

“That’s pretty mature,” Angie said.

“Thanks!” Selene said. “It’s worked well so far.” 

Kat nodded. Cooperation, not competition. She had to remind herself of that sometimes. 

“So you go to the same university. Which school?” Angie asked. 

“University of Pendleton,” Kat said. “It’s a decent trek from here.”  

“No, really?” Angie asked. “I’m transferring there!” 

“Oh?” Kelly asked. “Do your parents live near there?” 

“Yeah, they live just outside of Crofton,” Angie said. “I was going to college out of state, but with Leo, I had to move back home. My mom agreed to watch him while I go to classes. I start in January.” 

“Oh, that’s nice of her,” Kelly said. 

“Leo?” Kat asked, confused. 

“My son,” Angie said. “He’s five months old.” 

“Aw!” Selene clapped her hands together. “Do you have pictures?” 

Angie chuckled and showed her pictures from her phone as they walked. 

“Oh, he’s so cute!” Selene looked at Kat for agreement, but Kat just shrugged. She’d seen the pics, but she didn’t have as much interest as the others. Babies were cute, that was their whole deal, but seldom in person. They smelled like poop most of the time, and screamed far too often for Kat’s liking. She wasn’t opposed to the idea one day, but she had her reasons for not wanting one now. However, Arthur’s being cute with his fight earlier came to mind. He’d be a better father than Francis any day of the week. 

“You had Leo before you finished college?” Kat asked. The idea of any of them getting pregnant with the end of academia in sight frightened her. She was one and a half semesters away from graduating, and she was ready. 

“Yeah, he wasn’t planned,” Angie said, her voice dropping. “But he’s a blessing. I love him so much it’s disgusting. I keep checking my phone for updates, but he’s napping right now.”

“Can’t his dad take care of him while you finish school?” Kat asked, earning her a harsh look from Kelly. Maybe it was rude to ask, but Kat didn’t like the idea of deadbeat dads. 

“No. Leo’s dad passed away before he was born.” Angie went quiet. 

Kat grimaced. She shouldn’t have asked. She didn’t mean to touch on a sensitive subject, but in her defense, there was no way she could have known. “Sorry.” 

“Oh my God,” Kelly said, stopping and taking Angie’s hands. “I’m so sorry.” 

“Thanks,” Angie sniffled. They stopped, standing in the center of a wide stretch of the lane. People moved around them without paying them any heed. She took a deep breath and wiped her eye with the heel of her palm. The mood had shifted from leisure to somber, and Kat felt guilt for the shift weighing her down. 

“Sorry, it’s been overwhelming,” Angie said. She closed her eyes, steeling herself. 

Kat couldn’t tell if she was preparing to keep walking or vent. 

“He passed last year in a car accident about a month after we found out I was pregnant,” Angie said, causing the others to share expressions of surprise and dismay for her. “We were going to get married, but, yeah. It’s… It’s been a hell of a year.” 

“I can’t even imagine,” Kelly said, glaring at Kat. It was her fault, but she couldn’t do anything about it now. 

“What? I didn’t know.” Kat defended herself. “I mean, come on. How could I have known?” 

“No, it’s okay,” Angie said. She swallowed, trying to shake off the heavy conversation topic. “Sorry to just unload, but well, here we are. Is it okay if I tell you about him?” 

“Of course!” Kelly said before Kat could try to divert the subject. Kat held in her sigh. Selene and Kelly were hooked. They were adamant about women helping women, making friends, and taking care of people. Kat buckled in. She couldn’t offer as much comfort as the others, but she listened well. 

“Most people assume I picked a deadbeat for a baby daddy,” Angie said. “But Danny was so excited to be a dad, even if it was earlier than we planned. He was a year ahead of me in school, so he would have graduated just before Leo was born.” 

“How did you meet?” Kelly asked. 

“Spring break,” Angie said. “I was a bit of a partier my freshman year, and my friends got a group trip together. Danny was the total opposite, but his roommate dragged him along. We met in the hotel lobby, got talking about The Tale of Genji that I was carrying because I had to read it for class, and thought I’d try to look smart at the pool. The next thing I knew, I missed the first night of parties. We talked all night and spent the day together. We hit it off, you might say.” 

Angie sniffled. “Danny was so kind and genuine. Hot, too, but he didn’t act like a hot guy, you know? He was a total farm boy, but was so freakin’ smart. We fell in love, obviously, you know how it goes. He was such a great guy, not like the other pervs and assholes I’ve dated. We started dating, moved in together last year, and well, it turns out condoms aren’t 100% effective.” 

“Hence, Leo,” Kat said, not sure of what else to say. Angie was tearing up. It was clear the story meant a lot to her. Kat wondered why she was unloading on total strangers. Was she that desperate for people to talk to who weren’t her family?

“Sounds like you really loved him,” Kelly said. “I’m so sorry. Do you need a hug? Can I hug you?”

Angie nodded. “Sure, I could use a hug.” 

Kelly hugged her tight. “I have tissues in my purse. Kat, Selene?”

Selene dug through Kelly’s bag as Kelly hugged Angie, found an open pack of tissues, and pulled them out for Angie to use. 

“It’s okay,” Angie said, taking one. “It’s not as fresh as it once was. I still get emotional, obviously, but I’m not bawling my eyes out every time someone mentions Danny, so that’s progress. I just… I had to move back home. My friends are out of state, and I’ve got different priorities now. I’m sorry for dumping on you like that.”

“No, you weren’t dumping,” Kelly assured her. “You needed to talk, that’s okay.”

Kelly nodded and took a tissue from Selene. Kat didn’t need one. Selene proved sympathetic, but not as prone to tears as Kelly was. Kelly took it pretty hard, as if she were imagining herself in Angie’s shoes and losing Arthur after discovering she was pregnant with his kid.

“So yeah, that’s my life story,” Angie said after a deep breath. “What about you? How did you meet your boyfriend?” 

“At auditions. He’s a year older than me, too,” Selene said. “He played Prince Charming, and I was an ugly stepsister.”

“Aw,” Angie wiped her eye. “That’s a cute meet-cute.” 

“I met him freshman year,” Kelly said. “We were gym buddies for a long time, and started dating earlier this semester.”

“No wonder you’re both so hot,” Angie said. 

“Thanks,” Kelly said, still wiping her tears away. She’d have to spend some time fixing her makeup.

“And you?” Angie asked Kat. 

“He uh, he stepped in and stopped some guys who were harassing my roommate and me,” Kat said. “He had a girlfriend at the time, but I didn’t stop thinking about him. Then he and his girlfriend broke up last semester, and I asked him out around the time everyone else did, when the polycule formed.” 

“That sounds gallant,” Angie said. 

“Yeah,” Kat agreed. 

At least with her trauma, Angie wasn’t likely to throw herself at Arthur or the girls for an orgy hookup. Kat had trouble taking people at face value, but it seemed like Angie was just a girl at the Faire with her family who could use some friends. She felt sorry for her. The poor girl was alone, having spent the last five months in the solitude of family and her baby. 

“Well, hey, at least you know us, so you’ll have some friends when you start at Pendleton next semester,” Selene said.

“Yeah,” Angie said, offering a small smile. “I’ll be commuting and taking classes part-time. To be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to it, but maybe it won’t be so bad. I can finish my degree, and I’ve got my family, and lots of single moms raise their kids to be perfectly good people.” 

“Eh,” Kat shrugged. “Our mom’s a single mom, and we’re okay.” 

Selene chuckled. “Yeah, we’re not that bad.” 

“Our mom?” Angie asked, confused. 

“Mine and Selene’s,” Kat said, gesturing between her and Selene. “We’re sisters.” 

“Sisters,” Angie said, looking between them. “In the same relationship?”

“We’re dating the same guy, not each other,” Kat said. “I’m straight. I don’t know about Selene anymore.” 

“I’m spaghetti,” Selene said, turning it into a joke. “Straight until wet.” 

Kelly laughed into her tissue, shaking her head as she crumpled it and threw it away. “Come on, let’s go find a hat. Or maybe somewhere I can fix my makeup.” 

“Yeah, sorry again about that,” Angie said. 

“No, you don’t have anything to apologize for, I promise,” Kelly said, shaking her head.

“It’s been a rough few days for us, but it’s nothing compared to what you’ve been through,” Selene said, trying to be supportive. 

Kat didn’t agree by default, but most of what they’d been through in the last few days had been second-hand trauma. Arthur was the one who’d been through the most, and they were doing their best to keep his spirits high. She didn’t see any reason why they couldn’t do that for their new friend, platonically.

“There are some tables over there, we can sit,” Angie said, pointing. 

“Perfect,” Kelly agreed. “Come on.”