Harem House Chapter 47 Part 2 (Patreon)

Yvonne didn’t know what was going on. One minute, she was ready to take her punishment from Selene and make things right. Before that could happen, Arthur was telling her it wasn’t happening, and Arthur and Selene were walking off together. He’d opposed her penance since Selene suggested it, but did their relationship give him the right to come between her and Selene reaching an understanding? 

The dynamic between Arthur and the others was hot. God, if she’d known he could be so dominating and forceful, she’d have begged him years ago to abandon Lori and take her instead. She was in hell, burning with lust to see him being that way with others, while unwilling to consider her. 

She thought he’d want to help her reconcile with Selene, even if he didn’t owe her for helping work through the Angie drama. Instead, he seemed to impede Selene’s acceptance of Yvonne, which affected her standing with Maria and the rest of the theater group. 

Had he changed his mind? He said he wanted friendship and to work together again, but that wouldn’t happen if he didn’t let her right things with Selene. 

Yvonne was staring at a puzzle with too many missing pieces to see the final image. Did Arthur not want her back in the group after all? He’d said he did, but then why was he condemning Selene’s offer of penance? She’d thought it’d be something worse than an hour in an uncomfortable position with some teasing. Granted, watching Arthur kiss and embrace woman after woman at the stockades had been more difficult and more arousing than she expected. But it wasn’t torture. 

Yvonne half-expected the theater club to make her do most of the manual labor for the show this fall. To give her the grunt work and take the undemanding jobs for themselves. That was fine. She’d take her lumps for what she’d done and start at the bottom again. She deserved it. An hour in the stockades was nothing.  

It made sense he’d be worried about Selene and want to take her back to the bus to rest after she had that loopy episode from the dehydration, but what did that have to do with Yvonne’s punishment? She could do it. She wasn’t worried. It wasn’t like it’d hurt. Sure, her legs might get tired after a while, and her back might ache, but she was tougher than Arthur gave her credit for. 

“Hey,” Rani’s voice lilted in Yvonne’s ear as she walked alongside her and took her arm. “How are you doing, Princess?” 

Yvonne looked at Rani, hardly recognizing the woman she’d met before. The veil over half her face obscured her, and the nose chain and head jewelry were distracting, but other than the shade of her skin and the color of her eyes, almost everything else looked different. “Your makeup is amazing.” 

Rani chuckled. “Thanks, but I wasn’t fishing for a compliment. I meant the question. How are you doing?” 

“I’m confused,” Yvonne said. “I thought I was supposed to be making things up to Selene, but Arthur won’t let me, and I don’t know why.” 

“That’s not about you,” Rani said, shaking her head. “Selene was wrong to make you do that.” 

“What?” Yvonne asked. 

“Don’t get me wrong, I was gonna let it happen, cause it’s hot, and you’re hot, and well, I’m only human,” Rani said. “But your whole situation is complicated as fuck. Not to mention, Selene’s been going through it the last few days, and Arthur is really worried about her.” 

“You think I’m hot?” Yvonne asked. “And what’s Selene been going through?” 

“Yeah, I have eyes,” Rani said, waving her away. “Selene was on a power trip. She kind of snapped yesterday. Last night. And I think Angie snapped her temper again. So what she wanted from you wasn’t so much about you as it was about whatever she’s going through in her head right now. It has more to do with Lynn than you, unless you’re into humiliation, too.” 

“Um, what?” Yvonne asked. “I know things got heated last night, but what does that have to do with her wanting me to stay in the stocks?” 

“She wanted to humiliate you,” Rani said. “I think she still has some unresolved bullshit with everything that’s going on, but she was taking her anger at Lynn, and Angie, and putting it on you because you’re the only one who offered her a chance to vent.” 

“You think she was projecting?” Yvonne asked, putting it into the language she knew.

“Exactly,” Rani said. “That, and she wanted to sexually frustrate you so you’d be more willing to submit to Arthur later when we have the orgy. If she had her way, she’d have a whole queue of women ready to submit to Arthur.” 

“Uh,” Yvonne stammered, blushing at the idea as they walked. “She doesn’t need to do that. Arthur’s made it clear he doesn’t want to do that kind of thing with me. He’s made it clear several times.” 

She swallowed and kept her eyes on the back of Kelly’s head as she followed the group. Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen walked ahead. Mindy, Kelly, and Katelyn walked behind them. That left Kat, Yvonne, and Rani walking together as the rearguard. 

“What I want to know,” Kat said, joining the conversation from Yvonne’s other side. She looked annoyed, but Yvonne couldn’t tell if she was angry or if that was just her face. “Is what Arthur meant about you helping him earlier.” 

“Oh, uh, well, Caleb, Logan, and I ran into him, and I needed to ask him for a ride home. He needed to vent to someone, a third party, I guess, and we talked. He told me about what happened with him and Lynn, and him and Angie.” 

“In high school?” Rani asked, unable to hide the surprise in her voice. 

“Yeah, and he summarized what happened last night and today,” Yvonne said. “He just needed to vent and wanted some advice. So I put on my therapy hat and did what I could. It wasn’t much, but I tried.” 

“So he told you everything?” Kat asked, looking at Rani, then back at Yvonne. “Why would he talk to you and not me about it?” 

“I don’t know?” Yvonne asked, turning her head to look at each woman. “I mean, we’ve known each other for years; it’s not like I’m a total stranger, but it wasn’t anything intimate. He didn’t mean anything by talking to me about it, I mean. I was just at the right place at the right time.” 

“Lucky you,” Kat said, looking away. 

“Kat, don’t be jealous,” Rani said.

“Envious,” Kat corrected, then frowned.

“Fuck you. Envious, then,” Rani sighed. “I’m sure that was a rough conversation, especially for you, right, Yvonne? With how much you care about Arthur.” 

“I mean, yeah, it wasn’t easy,” Yvonne said. 

“Arthur was just trying to spare us the pain,” Rani said. “I remember how upset I was when he first told me about Lynn. It didn’t get any easier hearing it the second time.” 

Kat grunted. “He yelled at me for telling Angie.” 

“Well, it’s his story, right?” Rani asked. “He has a right to tell it. We don’t.” 

Kat sighed, kicking the dirt with her foot as they walked. 

“Don’t be pissy,” Rani warned. “Arthur’s free to have friends, Brat. He doesn’t have to come to us for everything.” 

“No, I know, I get it, okay? It’s just, I wanted to help,” Kat said. “But every time I try, things spiral out of control, and I’m just… I’m a bad girlfriend, and a terrible sister, and–” 

“Shut the fuck up,” Rani said, surprising Yvonne and Kat into silence. “You’re not a bad girlfriend, or a terrible sister to Selene. You do what you can, we all do, but Selene has to take some responsibility for herself, right? We can’t baby her all the time.” 

“You don’t get it because you don’t have–” Kat stopped herself. 

“I have younger siblings,” Rani said. “I get looking out for them. So don’t tell me I don’t understand just because you’ve never met my family.” 

“Well, your sisters have people looking out for them besides you, and none of you have faced the same things that Selene and I have together,” Kat argued back. 

Rani sighed. “Well, you’ve got me there.” 

Yvonne had questions, but she kept herself from asking them. She had enough sense to see that this conversation had nothing to do with her, even though she was walking between them. 

“Look,” Rani said. “Just because you fail at something doesn’t mean you’re bad at it. You know how many times I’ve fallen off a horse or my Papa found a design flaw in my work?” 

“Is the horse question a rhetorical metaphor, or–?” Yvonne asked. 

“More than once,” Rani confirmed. “That doesn’t mean I’m a bad equestrian or a terrible engineer. It means I’m human, and despite being awesome, I can’t control every variable in the universe, even if I wanted to.”

Kat sighed. “I just wanted to help.”  

“You did,” Yvonne said, trying to be encouraging without being condescending. “Or at least he said you did.” 

Kat stared at her, and Yvonne put on her most earnest face. She wasn’t lying, but she needed Kat to believe that she wasn’t lying, so she did her best. 

Kat grunted again. “Thanks.” 

“You’re welcome?” Yvonne wasn’t sure it was worth her gratitude, but at least they weren’t yelling at her or telling her to get lost. “Thanks for letting me hang out with you guys, by the way.” 

“Well, Arthur told you to come with us, so there’s that,” Rani said. “And he’s the king of our little group.” 

“Right,” Yvonne said. “Master of the harem.” 

“Hey, you said that without derision. I’m surprised,” Rani chuckled. 

Yvonne shrugged. “I think I’m jealous, to be honest.” 

“Envious,” Kat corrected her, but she sounded bored. She sighed. “Don’t worry, I’m sure Selene will figure out a way to worm you into the group. She always gets her way.” 

“Arthur doesn’t want me in the group,” Yvonne said. “He doesn’t feel that way about me, which sucks, but I’m not trying to make things right because I want to earn my way into the harem. I’m doing it because it’s the right thing to do, and the only way I’ll be able to move on.” 

Rani grinned. “That’s fucking healthy.” 

“Thanks,” Yvonne said, but she couldn’t bring herself to put any joy into her words. Did she want the camaraderie that came with being part of the group? Sure. This conversation alone proved how much a sisterhood like theirs could comfort and support her, how she might do the same for them, if they let her. Still, walking with them, she felt like an outsider, lonelier in a crowd because of their matching tattoos, their way of being with one another that she couldn’t join. 

She recalled the ache in her heart whenever Arthur looked at one of his girlfriends, and his mouth turned up at the corner. He had this look in his eyes that could melt anyone, but it vanished when he turned his eyes toward her. That expression was for his girlfriends, not her, no matter how desperate she might be for him to look at her that way. Did that make her pathetic? Probably, but there wasn’t much she could do about how she felt except hope that either Arthur would grow to love her, or her love for him would fade. 

“Hey, uh, before you gals grab axes,” Yvonne said as they approached the axe-throwing booth. Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen joined the line. The contest was between Kat and Mindy, but that was no reason to stop anyone else from throwing an axe at the target if they wanted to. “I know I’ve apologized to Rani, Kat, and the theater club, but to you, Kelly, Mindy, and…” 

“Katelyn,” Kat added Katelyn’s name to the list when Yvonne couldn’t remember. 

“Katelyn,” Yvonne repeated. “I’m sorry for spreading rumors about Arthur and trying to kick him and Selene out of the theater club. I’m sure you heard my apologies to the others, but I just wanted to let you know that I’m sorry, and that I’m not your enemy or your competition. We don’t have to be friends, obviously, but I wanted to clear the air between us, just in case, since I hope to work with Arthur and Selene again and be friends with them.” 

Mindy giggled. “Oh, don’t worry. If you’re friends with Selene and the boss, you’re friends with the rest of us. We’re a package deal.” 

“And Selene will forgive you,” Kelly said. “She’s just having a hard time right now. Selene’s very protective of Arthur, we all are, but she is especially vindictive about him.”

“She’s been going full yandere ever since last night,” Mindy said. 

“I don’t know what that means,” Kelly said, confused. “But yeah, I’m worried about her. I was going to talk to Arthur about it, to see what he wants to do, but she can’t keep attacking people. The way she threw herself at Angie was unacceptable.” 

“Spank her for it,” Mindy said. 

“I’m not anyone’s mistress anymore, remember?” Kelly asked. “That’d be up to Arthur, and Selene would enjoy it too much.” 

“Do you think Selene would have hurt her if you hadn’t been there?” Rani asked. 

“Absolutely,” Kat said, her tone confident. 

The others looked at Kat. She shrugged. “Look, I’m not saying she’d have deserved it, but I’m surprised Arthur handled the scenario as well as he did without violence. I was up close and personal with him. He wanted to hurt her. Consequences stopped him.” 

“And you,” Kelly said. 

“No,” Kat said, shaking her head. “I tried holding him back, but are you kidding? He could have picked me up in one arm and beaten Angie with the other.” 

“Hot,” Rani said, her voice flat. 

“No,” Kelly said, shaking her head. 

“Selene doesn’t share his stance on violence,” Kat said. “Thinking about how Lynn or Angie hurt him, but especially Lynn, if someone did that to Selene? I’d lose my fuckin’ mind, too. Hell, I shoved Yvonne to the ground earlier today for her fuckery, and if it weren’t for her covering for me, I wouldn’t even be at the Faire right now. They would have kicked me out.” 

“Aw, you do care,” Mindy said. 

The others looked at Yvonne, who nodded. “She was upset, and she had every right to be mad at me.” 

“I think Selene would have done more than shove her if we let her reach Angie,” Kelly said. “After what she did to Lynn last night?” 

“Yeah, but that’s Lynn,” Mindy said. 

The others exchanged glances, not sure what else to say. So Yvonne brought the conversation back to what prompted it. 

“So, yeah, I just wanted to apologize,” Yvonne said. “I really am very sorry.”  

“And Arthur already forgave you,” Rani said, shrugging. “So we can’t hold anything against you, except Kat might hold a grudge against you for going after Selene, but you didn’t kick her out of the Faire, so...” 

Kat shrugged. “I don’t know what’s going on with Selene, to be honest. She surprised me with the whole punishment thing, but she’s in full slave mode right now.” 

“Oh, as her elf slave character?” Yvonne asked. 

“Sure,” Kat said, shrugging. “But she goes way off the deep end when she gets into her role with Arthur. I should have spoken up and tried to help Arthur rein her in earlier, but I don’t know. I’m not sure what’s going through Arthur’s head either.” 

“It can’t be that bad, right?” Katelyn asked, looking at the others. “If Selene gets out of hand, Arthur can just call a red light.” 

“Right,” Rani said, agreeing. 

The others didn’t seem so sure. 

“Well, anyway,” Yvonne broke the silence. “I just wanted to apologize to the three of you that I don’t know and haven’t apologized to yet.” 

“Arthur’s forgiven you. So, I won’t hold it against you,” Kelly said, nodding her assent. “But I will say, go after his reputation like that again, and I will fuck you up.” 

Yvonne would have laughed, except Kelly cracked her knuckles to emphasize her point. Kelly punched her palm and flexed her arms enough to show Yvonne how much it’d hurt. She gulped.

“My entrance into this group started with Arthur forgiving me for what I did,” Katelyn said, meeting Yvonne’s eyes. “And I tried to force myself on him, which is like a major trigger for him, obviously.” 

Yvonne looked confused. 

“Nothing happened, but I know it was wrong,” Katelyn said, blushing with embarrassment. “But he forgave me, so did Kelly and the others. Spreading rumors can damage, and be just as triggering for him, I guess, but we’re okay now. Give it time, and I’m sure you’ll be good friends with the rest of us, too. Maybe more.” 

“Don’t get her hopes up,” Kat said, her voice flat. “Arthur said no.” 

“But why?” Rani asked. “I mean, no offense, I voted no because it was obvious after our conversation that you didn’t want to share Arthur. But why would Arthur turn you down? You’re hot, you’ve got theater in common, and–” 

“It doesn’t matter,” Kat said.

“Arthur can change his mind, though,” Mindy said. “He changed his mind on the orgy, right?” 

“Well, he hadn’t made up his mind about the orgy,” Kelly said. “There’s a difference.” 

“I can’t believe I’m at the Ren Faire talking about Arthur, of all people, throwing an orgy,” Yvonne said, chuckling. She realized she had said the quiet part out loud when the others looked at her. “Sorry, it’s just he’s so… Arthur. I can’t see him throwing an orgy, but I guess I don’t know him as well as the rest of you, obviously. I didn’t know he had the whole dominance and kink side in him, either, until I saw him and Selene.” 

“Hm, he is quite good at it, too,” Rani said. 

“To be fair, he only agreed to an orgy because it’s what we want,” Mindy said. “If Selene, Rani, and the others hadn’t campaigned for it so hard, like if it were up to just Arthur, we’d skip the orgy tonight.” 

The others hesitated. 

“I mean, that’s gotta be a lot of pressure on him, right? Not just to perform, but to lead everyone at the party, including a bunch of strangers?” Mindy asked, looking between Kelly and Rani. 

Kelly and Rani looked at each other, frowning. 

“Aw, fuck,” Rani said, sighing. “You’re right.” 

“And Kelly doesn’t want to dominate anyone, or be anyone’s mistress, so it’s all on him. He can’t offload some of it like he did last weekend at the hotel,” Katelyn observed. 

“Okay, can you stop saying things that make me feel guilty for wanting to throw an orgy?” Rani asked, glaring at Katelyn. “Besides, I’ll be there. I’m the queen of the concubines. So, Arthur can offload some of the leadership to me.” 

“Sorry,” Katelyn said, shrinking. 

“Come on,” Kelly said, gesturing toward the axe-throwing booth. “Let’s get in line and throw some axes.” 

Kat and Mindy glanced at each other and nodded. They got in line first, followed by Kelly and Rani. Yvonne had no interest in throwing axes, so she stood off to the side, watching and waiting for the others. Katelyn stood with her. 

“You don’t want to throw?” Yvonne asked. 

Katelyn shook her head. “I pulled my shoulder out of its socket on a mechanical bull, and the whole overhead toss with an axe would kill me. Kelly wouldn’t even let me get in line.”

“I thought she wasn’t anyone’s mistress?” Yvonne asked. 

“She’s not, but she’s a big ol’ Mama Bear,” Katelyn said, chuckling. “She looks out for me, though, so I can’t complain.”  

“Oh,” Yvonne said, absorbing that information. Katelyn looked fine, but rubbed her left shoulder when she mentioned it. 

“Today’s my first day without a sling,” Katelyn said. 

“How’s it holding up?” Yvonne asked. 

“So far, it’s okay,” Katelyn said, smiling. “For what it’s worth, I don’t think anyone in the harem is mad at you. We’ve had bigger fish to fry, so to speak, with Lynn and Angie.” 

“Yeah,” Yvonne said, shaking her head. “That’s crazy.” 

“Right?” Katelyn asked. “Poor Arthur.” 

“At least he has six girlfriends and, apparently, a bunch of strangers willing to cheer him up with sex,” Yvonne said, sighing. 

Katelyn hesitated. “I mean, I’m sure he’d trade all of us for not having to go through that. I would if I were in his shoes.” 

“Really?” Yvonne asked. “I don’t know. The Arthur I know is a romantic. He commits to his partners and their happiness. He was so cute with Lori, and he’s committed to the harem now. He wouldn’t trade a single one of you for the world.” 

“I hope you’re right,” Katelyn said. “To be honest, I’ve only been part of the group for a few days. I don’t know Arthur that well yet, and it’s been a crazy time. If it weren’t for Kat and Kelly being a part of this, I’d be in way over my head. It’s a lot for a new relationship.” 

Yvonne looked at her. “Well, if you’re offering me your spot on the team, I’ll take it.” 

Katelyn laughed. “No, but nice try.” 

Yvonne grinned, glad that she’d taken the humor as Yvonne intended it. “Can’t blame a girl for trying.” 

Katelyn chuckled. “I wonder what Arthur and Selene are talking about right now.” 

“No idea, but I hope they’re having fun,” Yvonne said, shrugging as Mindy and Kat stepped up to their respective axe-throwing stalls.

~~~

Arthur carried Selene through the gates and through the parking lot as they talked. Selene rested in his arms, bridal-style, with one arm over his shoulders and the other hugging around his neck to grab her draped arm. Her silks hung between her legs, but she was only as modest as her chainmail bikini and silk strips allowed. 

The shepherdess at the gate checked on her, but she explained they were going to their bus to get hydrated. 

By the time they reached the bus, Arthur had caught Selene up on everything that had happened since the girls parted ways with him, Angie, and Kat. 

“So, Yvonne talked you through it, and you and her are on okay terms now, but you don’t want to make her your slave and fuck her stupid?” Selene asked. “It’d be hot to watch the two of you argue and then have that devolve into angry sex. A good hate fuck would do you good.” 

Arthur sighed. “Not every woman in the world wants to be my slave, Selene.” 

“Hello, my king,” Manasa said as she appeared from the passenger seat of the driver’s cab. “Do you require my services with your girlfriend on the bus?” She asked as she unlocked the door. 

Selene met Arthur’s eyes and bit her lip to keep from smiling. It didn’t work. She tried, but the giggles bubbled out of her. 

“Maybe not every woman,” Selene said, getting her laughter under control. “But most.” 

“Did I miss something?” Manasa asked, confused. “Or say something wrong? I just—” she gestured to the way Arthur was holding her. “I assumed you were here for another—what’s the word? Interlude.”  

Arthur sighed. “No, you just appeared in time to undermine a point I was trying to make to Selene.” 

“Oh,” Manasa said, swallowing. “I’m sorry, my king.” 

Selene giggled again. “Be honest, Manasa. If Arthur invited you to the back of the bus with us, would you obey every order he gave you? Even without Rani here?” 

“Yes, if Mister Clarke wanted me to,” Manasa said. “And if you were okay with it as well. I know your rule is that at least two must be there and agree.” 

Selene grinned, looking at Arthur. “Please, Mister Clarke?” She asked, still not calling him Master until he gave the green light. “She wants you. It’d teach me a lesson if you tied me to the pole and made me watch you fuck her.” 

Arthur grunted, setting Selene down so she could get onto the bus herself. “Go on the bus and wait for me. Drink some water.” 

“Is that an order?” Selene asked, standing. “Are we playing again?” 

“No, I’m not ready to play again yet,” Arthur said. “I meant it in a boyfriend-taking-care-of-you way. Please go wait on the bus for me? I’m going to get you one of Kelly’s smoothies. Maybe two. There’s some water in the bus, please drink a bottle.” 

Selene frowned, but nodded. “Okay.” She entered the bus, leaving Arthur and Manasa standing outside it. 

The air inside was thicker than outside, but there was no breeze here, and the warmth was oppressive. Selene took a water bottle and drank it, giving Arthur plenty of time to go through the luggage rack. Meanwhile, she sat on the bench, staring at the traveler’s trunk, wondering if Arthur would punish or reward his slave. 

She’d hoped the water would be cold, but realized as soon as she touched the plastic that it’d be warm water. It didn’t surprise her. The bus sat in the sun on the edge of the parking lot, which was just a grassy field full of reflective cars. Its darkened windows and black siding absorbed the sun's heat, warming the rest of it. She hoped Arthur would turn the bus on if he planned to spend any time here, especially if they did anything that would work up a sweat. 

The bus door closed behind Arthur as he appeared, but no Manasa appeared. She must have gone back into the driver’s seat, which proved true a second later. The engine rumbled to life, and the interior lights turned on as Arthur entered the rear cabin, holding a fruit smoothie in either hand. Air rushed through the vents, brushing the heat away from her skin.

“Which one is mine?” Selene asked. 

“They’re the same flavors as far as I could tell,” Arthur said. “Still pretty cold, too, thanks to the ice packs in the cooler.” 

“Thanks,” Selene said, accepting the drink and flipping up the plastic seal that held the straw. The smell of fruit hit her nose, mixed berries, natural sugars, and a seasoning she couldn’t identify. 

“What’s the O on the cup stand for?” Selene asked. 

“Oat milk,” Arthur said. “Kelly said she made a few of them with oat milk for you and Rani.” 

“Aw,” Selene sipped the smoothie. The drink was a delicious assault of flavors against her tongue, and the most refreshing thing she’d ever swallowed. It flowed from her mouth to her stomach and into her veins, cooling her off from the inside out. 

Arthur sat beside her and stretched his arm over her, letting it rest against the back of the seat as he settled in. Then Selene leaned against him, drinking her smoothie through the plastic cup’s built-in straw. 

“This is fantastic,” Selene said. “Kelly could sell these, like, professionally.” 

“She’s very talented,” Arthur agreed. 

Silence reigned as they drank, with Selene working through hers faster than Arthur did through his. 

“Well, you caught me up on what happened with you after you left,” Selene said. “So…” 

“So,” Arthur said, sighing. “Now we need to discuss your, uh, violent outbursts.” 

“Okay,” Selene said. “I know you don’t like violence, Arthur, but–” 

“Do you know why?” Arthur asked. 

Selene stopped. “I mean, because people beat you up in high school?” 

Arthur shook his head. “No, not exactly.” 

“Because of that guy you shoved when the football team beat you up?” Selene asked. 

“Yeah, he’s sorta the prime example of what I dislike about violence,” Arthur said. 

“And what’s that?” Selene asked. 

“That you can’t take it back,” Arthur said.

Selene looked at him, confused. 

“You can say the wrong thing and apologize, right? You can take words back,” Arthur said.  

Selene followed his logic, nodding in agreement. It wasn’t always as simple as he made it sound, but yeah. She agreed so far. The damage from words was easier to undo than the consequences of violence. That made sense.

“But if I were to hurt you, and I don’t mean in like, a fun consensual way, but if I were to break your leg, for example. Do you think it’d ever be the same again?” Arthur asked.

“I mean, it’d heal, right?” Selene asked. He was losing her in his analogy somewhere, but she was trying to follow him. 

Arthur took a deep breath. “Sure, it’d heal, but it’d never be the same. You can’t un-throw a punch, and the consequences of violence? They’re serious. Life-ruining. Life-ending. Words can hurt, sure, but hands kill. And violence? It’s a failure of cognitive thought, communication, and morals. Language is a mark of intelligence, and it’s our ability to solve our problems and disagreements with words that separates us from animals. We’re supposed to be more evolved, and the better person is always the one who solves his problems with words rather than throwing a punch.” 

“I mean, I knew you didn’t like it, but is it really a moral failing? Sometimes violence is necessary to protect someone,” Selene said. 

“Is that what you think you were doing when you threw yourself at Lynn last night?” Arthur asked. “You thought you were protecting me?” 

“You froze,” Selene suggested. “She slapped you across the face. We were all trying to protect you from her. I’ll admit, I–I saw red. She hurt you, Arthur, and she doesn’t get to do that! I might be small, but I’ve got a lot of rage, especially for anyone who hurts you.” 

“But who are you furious at?” Arthur asked. “Where does all that rage come from?” 

The question surprised Selene. “Are you trying to be my therapist or something?” 

“No, I’m trying to be a good boyfriend,” Arthur said, shifting his arm from the seat behind her to her shoulders and squeezing her. “I want to help figure out why you seem so eager to become violent with people, with no thought for consequences like getting arrested, for instance.” 

Selene stopped at that, thinking it over. Lynn might have tried to sue her, or whatever, but it wasn’t like she had any money for Lynn to take. Angie was a different story. If it weren’t for Kelly, she would have given her a beating, but that was just a catfight between two young women.

“Well, with Lynn, she fucking deserved it,” Selene said, still angry with her. “If not for everything she did to you, then for everything she said and did to the rest of us.” 

“I won’t argue that, but you’d be facing jail time if it weren’t for me pulling you off her. You realize that, right? Like, she’d still be within her legal rights to pursue assault charges, and Lynn’s cruel enough to do it for spite.” 

A sobering thought, sure, but not as realistic as Arthur seemed to think. Selene looked up at him, expecting to see a small grin or some sign that he was being overdramatic to frighten her. He wasn’t. He looked at her with calm eyes. The same expression he used to discuss the Lord of the Rings canon or theater plans. 

“And with Angie, as much as I hate her guts, that was in the middle of the Faire, Selene. There were people nearby. Kids. You’d be guilty of assault for sure, no self-defense or anything. Kelly saved you.” 

Selene gulped. She thought back to the moment they discovered Angie’s true identity. It was just as bad as Arthur described. She had no defense, and she didn’t offer one. She was in shock. It was as if he’d slapped her across the face. In fact, she wished he had. Not for the violence, but the pain would have brought her some pleasure, and it’d be a great start to a scene. 

“Are you thinking about sex right now?!” Arthur asked. His eyes met hers after studying her face. Damnit. He could read her like a book. 

“I’m sorry,” she said. “It’s this belt, Arthur, I swear. It’s driving me crazy. There’s been no relief, no release. It just—I’ve been horny all freaking day and not even able to touch myself. I get that it’s a punishment, but it’s too extreme. It’s driving me insane. Every little thought gets me going. Earlier, at the stockade? I think I had a small orgasm just from imagining you doing things to me while I was in the stocks.” 

Arthur appeared incredulous. “And what about this conversation set you off in that direction?”

“I was thinking about how right you were,” Selene said. “And that realization shocked me, as if you’d slapped me across the face, which made me think of you doing that, which…” 

“Which turned you on?” Arthur asked. 

Selene nodded, taking a sip of her fruit smoothie to distract herself. The milkshake-like smoothie had lowered her core temperature a bit, and the bus’s air conditioning worked hard to cool the cabin. Arthur was her sole source of heat, and only on one side of her, which made goosebumps form on her right arm and leg. 

“Yeah,” Selene said. “Sorry. I’m on a hair trigger.” 

Arthur nodded. “I want you to understand that this is coming from your boyfriend, not your Master, okay?” 

Selene’s anxiety kicked into overdrive. She looked at Arthur, begging him with her eyes not to dump her, or toss her away, or–

“You can’t hurt people, Selene,” Arthur said. “And you especially can’t use me to justify violence against others. Okay? I am not okay with that. If you do it again, it’ll violate the last of my trust in you. No more violence.” 

“But–” Selene said, hesitating as her mind raced through all the possibilities where violence might be necessary. “What if I need to defend myself?” 

“You can use your words,” Arthur said.

Selene raised both eyebrows as she looked at him. 

“What?” Arthur asked. 

“No offense, Arthur, but speaking as a woman who weighs what, less than half of what you do? No, I can’t,” Selene waited for that to sink in. “Sometimes I have to kick people. I have to punch, bite, claw, or do whatever I have to do to protect myself. Not all of us can diffuse every situation with words. That’s your privilege showing, because once you got buff, people respect you enough to listen when you speak. Well, most of them do.” 

Arthur looked surprised, as if he hadn’t expected Selene to argue with him. In his defense, she usually didn’t, but he’d wanted to talk to her as girlfriend and boyfriend, so that was what he got. She was a woman talking to a man who didn’t seem to understand that going for early pre-dawn jogs alone was a privilege his girlfriends didn’t share—being able to calm people down with his words? Of course, it worked for him most of the time. People’s instincts toward him were a healthy dose of respect and even fear. People’s instincts toward Selene were more devious. 

“Okay,” Arthur said, thinking. “That’s a valid point. I mean, you weren’t defending yourself in either of your recent outbursts, but I can understand leaving self-defense as a caveat for the future.” 

Selene waited for the but. “Yeah?” 

“Yeah,” Arthur said. “I won’t try to stop you from using violence in self-defense. In fact, maybe finding a healthy outlet for your anger and taking some self-defense classes with Kelly would be good and teach you self-control,” Arthur said, drumming his fingers on her back. 

Selene considered that. It wasn’t a bad idea. She and Kelly got along great, and more time with her would be fun. She might’ve preferred that time be in the bedroom, but they couldn’t spend all day, every day behind closed doors. Yet. 

“However,” Arthur said, drawing Selene’s attention to him by turning her chin so that she was looking him in the eyes. “I don’t want you using me to justify your violence anymore, okay? No attacking Lynn, or Angie, or anyone else we encounter who’s done me wrong. Even if I haven’t forgiven them or worked through whatever issues there are, you can’t attack them. Okay?” 

Selene wasn’t sure how she should respond. She was willing to agree, but part of her knew it would be hollow, especially if she were agreeing as his girlfriend and not his slave. It was also possible she’d agree, and even desire to obey, but it might fly out the window as soon as Angie or Lynn tested her.

“I’m not trying to justify what I did, but I love you,” Selene said. 

“I love you, too,” Arthur said. 

“No,” Selene said. “I mean, yes, you do, but you’re not getting it. That’s not what I’m trying to say.” 

“What don’t I get?” Arthur asked, shifting in his seat to face her better and hold her hand. 

Selene swept her thumb over his fingers in her left hand and held the remnants of her smoothie in her right. She sipped it for another moment to think, then swallowed to answer. She had to try to explain herself. 

“Arthur, even without the master and slave dynamic, you are the most important person in my life. Okay? I love you. You mean more to me than those three words can express. And I know it’s stupid. We’ve been dating for what, three and a half weeks? But we have years of friendship backing that up, and I’ve loved you for most of them. I couldn’t have you because you were with Lori, but I loved you so much it didn’t matter. You were happy, so I was happy for you. But the point is, I was in love with you long before we started dating. And now I have you, and you’re mine. And we have the harem–am I still allowed to call them the harem when we’re not playing, or should I call them the polycule?” 

“Harem’s fine,” Arthur said. 

“And we have the harem, and I’m so, so happy. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted. Everyone that I care about has a chance to love you as much as I do, and we can all be happy together.” Selene squeezed his hand. “Everyone else has more realistic, real-life goals. You want to earn your master’s degree, graduate, and do well in business. Kat wants a career in publishing. Rani’s going to be an engineer one day. But me? I don’t care about graduating or school. My dreams for my future involve you, and the harem, and nothing else matters.” 

“Selene, I–” 

“I’m not finished,” Selene said, cutting him off. “I get that it’s crazy, and not realistic, and that I need to have goals for school and life. Okay? I get you want me to have a plan, not depend totally on you, but have a backup, and finish school. We had that conversation. I get it, and I even agree, though not enthusiastically, that it’s a smart idea. Education isn’t the fit my mom thought it was, but that’s a different matter. And even if I maintain a normal life, that doesn’t mean I care about my degree, or my job, or anything else more than you.” 

The tears started in the corner of her eyes, but she held them back so she could finish. 

“And when someone, anyone, threatens to harm you? Or hurts you? I hurt when you hurt; I’m angry when you’re angry. I can’t help it. If security hadn’t stopped Mike at the chess match, or if Angie had teased you, or if Lynn laid one more fucking hand on you—can you blame me for losing my shit? For wanting to pay them back for what they did to you? To protect you like I’d protect myself when you’re the person who means more to me than myself?” 

Arthur hugged her, holding her in his arms, and she rested her head against his chest, crying. The squeeze of his firm muscles against her broke her restraint, and every tear she’d held back poured forth. She lost track of time, crying, letting it out, and realizing that the well was deeper than she’d thought. It wasn’t just their conversation, but everything from the night before came back to compound the issue. 

“Maybe I owe Angie an apology, but when she called you that name and said those things–” Selene choked her words with a sob. “It wasn’t a master/slave thing. I just—I couldn’t take it.” 

She cried, but Arthur didn’t say anything or speak over her. He let her cry, the way he did when he knew she needed it. She ran dry. Her eyes burned, and she’d have to redo her makeup, but she’d recover. She only felt bad for wasting her time crying when she would have preferred to spend it doing other things on the bus. “I’m sorry.” 

“It’s okay,” Arthur said, rubbing his palm against the bare skin on her back. “I’ve got you.” 

Selene released a heavy sigh, swallowing and wiping her eyes with her hand. 

“Selene, I love you, too,” Arthur said. “I don’t know if it’s fair to the others if I say that you’re the most important person in my life, but—” 

“I don’t want you to say it back,” Selene said. “That’s not why I said it. I want you to understand why my responses might seem so extreme. Why I have trouble keeping myself under control.” 

“Okay,” Arthur said, accepting her answer. He was quiet, considering everything she’d said as she rested her eyes and hugged him close. “Let’s focus on the violence for now. I love you, and I’m not sure how to help you overcome those violent instincts, or how to respond to them, but we can figure it out. For now, just know that I love and accept you, and your love.” 

“What does that mean?” Selene asked. 

“It means that I accept your love and your imperfections,” Arthur said.

“Imperfections?” Selene asked. 

“Your obsessive nature, and not being able to control yourself all the time,” Arthur said. “I get it. I’d be a hypocrite and a liar to say that I can control my emotions one hundred percent of the time, right?” The question was rhetorical. “Do you accept that I’m doing what I can to look out for you? I don’t want you to risk the consequences of violence for my sake because I love you and want to keep you safe. There is no us without you, okay?” 

Selene considered the question. “Yeah.” 

“So, the next time you think about turning violent on someone because they went after me, what will you do?” Arthur asked. 

“Is asking Kelly to punch them out of the question?” Selene asked, trying to make a joke, but neither of them laughed. 

“Yes,” Arthur answered, as if she’d been serious. 

“I’ll try my hardest to use my words,” Selene said. “And… what would you like me to do?” 

“Don’t attack anyone,” Arthur said. 

“Sure, right, but like, I need to do something. I can’t do a negative. Like, I can’t just stand there,” Selene said. “At least, not at first. I’ll have to build up to it. So what should I do?” 

“Punch the air, if you have to,” Arthur said after a moment’s thought. “Don’t kick or punch any walls or anything. I don’t want you to hurt yourself, but the air in front of you? It’s fair game.” 

“And if someone is standing in that air, that’s bad, right?” Selene asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Yeah,” Arthur said, offering a small grin this time. 

“Okay,” Selene said. “I promise, as your girlfriend, not to fight anyone unless it’s in self-defense, or defense of the others in the harem, in answer to someone else’s physical violence or threat thereof.” 

Arthur crunched through the exceptions and nodded. “That’s a surprisingly formal promise.” 

Selene grinned. “I learned all my business talk from you, Arthur.” 

Arthur matched her grin. “Okay, agreed.”

“Seal it with a kiss?” Selene asked, leaning closer to him. She knew her makeup was a mess, and she must look horrid, but Arthur looked at her as if she were the most beautiful woman in the world, and that was enough for her. 

He kissed her, and she melted in his arms once more. It wasn’t a passion-fueled vortex of lust, but a soft, slow, gentle bond forming between them. A kiss a couple might enjoy when they knew they had all the time in the world to sit and enjoy each other’s company. Except they didn’t. 

“Arthur?” Selene asked, pulling away from the kiss. 

“Yeah?” Arthur asked, his voice low and soft. 

“Can I ask you a big favor?” Selene asked. “A huge one, while we’re still boyfriend/girlfriend and not master/slave?” 

“What is it?” Arthur asked, smiling as if he knew what she was about to ask. 

“Can you get this damn belt off me in the next five seconds before my bladder freakin’ explodes?” Selene asked. “I have to pee SO BAD.”

Arthur laughed. “Okay. We’ll discuss Yvonne when you’re done.”