*** The Mistress ***

  Meetings. The true joys of running a business. It is hard to bme the owners who offer themselves to the ts. It would provide a bit of fun. I just 't get myself to be like that. I have a few wives I hide from my employees. They would all let me take ts, but it feels wrong. I'll probably take up one of the men who shows up here when we are ready to try for kids; it would be a lot cheaper.

  Vasati wants to talk to me. I o follow up with the duchess about tomorrorincess even has a messenger ing in today. Vasati will probably be the worst. She hates how I treat Alzi. Alzi offered herself up; I just took the opportunity. I treat her better than any other sve has probably ever beeed. Whatever, I'll worry about it when she yells at me.

  The first one up should be the duchess, probably just a messenger. I walk into my offid flick the firepce to life. Another quick spell to check if anything has been touched. The only thing that has been messed with is the safe, just some gold added. I sit down behind my rge desk and try to get some bance sheets down before the meetings.

  I only get through half of one before a knock says my day is about to begin.

  "Please e in," I say in my well-practiced, cheerful voice. The door opens silently, and a well-endowed woman es in. About five seven or so i. Ears, eyes, and tail show her to be a dog. "Wele. Please let us sit by the fire for this. This shouldn't take long, but I want tomorrow to run smoothly." I get up and walk over to the other half of my office. I've split it into two parts: one side is the traditional office, and the other is the more intimate and personal experiene would want from a brothel: soft chairs and some heat from a fire. I don't use it often, but some meetings hat extra intimacy.

  "We both want that," she takes the seat o me. "I have the key and strapon already. I've verified the entment is ohat will produce semen if the right woman is being fucked by it. I know that is the best we determine, so that is all in order. I'll have to take your word about the key. I've brought here some paperwork about her pregnancy status currently and what happens in case of a miscarriage or stillbirth. In both cases, we will get to breed her again, but she will live with us for the duration of the pregnanake sure her enviro does not cause any problems for the unborn kids."

  "Yes, that is fine. I have firmed she isn't pregnant now. Tomorrow, a little after noon, is when you'll be free to e by and do the breeding. She will be yours all day. She just 't be taken out of the stogs. Once you're finished, she will rex ahe children impnt, using some of her life's mana to help." I respond. If this pregnancy fails the first time, I'll have a lot of problems with my potential promises to the princess I'm w on. I sign the papers agreeing to the informatioh shared.

  "Good, gd you made this quick. We'll be here tomorrow for the sve," the dog gets up and promptly leaves.

  "One down, hardest ." I sigh, returning to my bance sheet. The interruption takes less than an hour to e—with another knock at my door.

  "e in," I say, putting my pen down. I'm nearly finished with yesterday's report; there are just the taxes left. Vasati es through the door. She's holy worked here lohan I have, doing work when my mother still owhe pce.

  "Thank you for seeing me. I'm hearing some disturbing things about Alzi. I hope they aren't true." Ag like she doesn't know precisely what is happening.

  "I'm always happy to hear from you. You're an essential figure for this brothel. I'm happy you tio work here. I would struggle to run it all without you." I genuinely do need her; I've got too much happening here not to have her. Brothels have taken off in the past few decades. Nobles have started to see them as pces to rex. Smaller and cheaper shows thaheaters let them go out more. The ability to have sex with a professional for the night is a nice bonus for them. It all cost less than a night at the theater. Some weird traditions have spun up with having younger girls have their first night with a professional wheureen. The big brothels have gre and plex. Managers are a must to keep the nobles happy.

  "Has the Ashmark family been banned?" she asks bluntly, sitting oher side of my desk.

  "No, they paid the amount asked. I 't ban a noble family for paying me and then doing what they paid for." This versation again.

  "The man had no idea he paid for that service. You o send someone in to let Alzi know about the ge. All of the girls know now that he raped her. The family is basically banned. Just st night, one of the wives was here trying to find a girl. Not a single one said yes. When the man es, he won't take no without shing out at the girl. I've shared this with the rest of the brothels, and they have bahem. Why would you not?"

  "As I said, he may not have known they paid, but they paid. I'm not getting dragged to court and expining to the judge that I banned a patron for doing what they paid for. I misha. I know that. I'll watch over him the ime he shows up. When he fails to find a girl, I'll make sure to tell him it would be best if he didn't e back. That is the best I do."

  "Fine, if they hurt irls, we'll have a more challenging time getting the girls with sex csses. They are what makes the nobles decide to e here over other pces. The ones tracted girls are just to fill out the ranks." I tell she still isn't happy about the stupid family, but there truly isn't mue to do.

  "Anything else you want to discuss?" I ask.

  "Yes, you 't sell Alzi. You promised her and her mother you wouldn't do that. You shouldn't even have that colr around her neck. You didn't heal her mother; you didn't keep up your half of the deal. Yet you've taken ten years from her. You 't take more of her future than you already have."

  "I tried to keep my half, but her mother was already healthy by the time I got there. She put the colr on, knowing what would happen; she did this to herself. I don't have to keep my promise of not selling her. I would have made twice the amount I've got now if I took the best offer I've ever gotten for her. This time, it is a princess making the offer. How am I going to say no to her? Nobody says no to a princess going for the throne. I.."

  "Then free Alzi," she interrupts, "you shouldn't have her to begin with, so free her. Let the duchess impregnate her. Free her and have her work here as a masseuse till the children are born. You make that part of the tract so that the colr be removed early."

  "The sed the princess started the iations, I lost the ability to free her. I've thought about it, trust me. I'm not happy selling her. I've worked Alzi's freedom into the tract. How is marrying a princess a bad thing? The princess 't have a sve be the baby father and mother to her kids."

  "That still takes her future away. If the princess wants a penis for her harem, she woo them the same as the rest have to. You know Yuki, Mai, and Alzi love each other. The princess won't let Mai into her harem. A debt whore with no affinity. e on. Kelly also wants in, and Alzi likes her as well. The princess won't let a weak healer in. Alzi is ten, twenty times strive her a month of training and a real healer css, and Kelly won't have anything to do. Plus, she probably already has a better healer. Don't take her future away just for some gold. You're earning plenty from her body already."

  "I already told you. All I do is get good deals with the princess. I 't say no to her. I'm not losing my head for Alzi."

  "Then ask the Queen for help. You and I both know the Queen has been here and slept with Alzi and me before. Hell, the Queen may have even had her kid with Alzi. Yuki has performed for her. You send a petition asking for help. She's smart enough to do it in a way the princess doesn't hurt us, especially if I'm right, and her kid is Alzi's."

  "I've tried. Matters about sves don't even make it to her. I got some generic response about not wasting the Queen's time."

  "Write a better letter. Work on it. The girls won't be happy to see Alzi leave like that. We 't lose both Alzi and Yuki. That is half the reason anyone es here."

  "The princess is us a girl that will work here for two years. Not as skilled as Yuki but good enough to cover us till we train a rept."

  "You should still find a bae and say no. This will break Alzi. She needs Yuki and Mai. I know you have a meeting with the stupid princess soon. Tell her she'll o vince Alzi to join her harem, and when the colr falls off, She have her. Do the right thing." I wish I could do as Vasati wants. You 't get in the way of a princess's attempt to climb to the throhey'll take your head on the way down if they fail.

  "I wish I could, Vasati. But I like living."

  "Think about it. O thing: Summerhide is inviting you and Alzi to a party this ing week. I've written both responses here," sliding to envelopes over. "The typical party, green stamp for yes, red for no. Everything else is w fine."

  "Good, thanks for writing the responses. I appreciate all you do. I wish I had worked a better deal with Alzi before the princess came knog. I truly do. Your head isn't on the line now. I do what I for her, but there is still a limit to what a brothel owner do."

  "Try. I've got to check the preparations for the big daonight. See you,"

  "Thanks for everything. Goodbye," both standing. I walk over and hug her before she leave. I throw the red stamp away. I don't particurly appreciate how they treat her at the parties, but it is essential to show them how much better my girls are. She is the best I have. I'll give her some breaks after it.

  It doesn't take long for my st meeting to e up. Hopefully, it is the st knock of the day; I o keep an eye on the daonight.

  "e in," I say for the third time today. I'm already walking over to the firepce. The princess never sits by the desk. Not that I think the princess is actually the one here. It's likely just a good spell and different messengers.

  "Thanks for meeting so te. I've heard you already gave breeding rights to the sve."

  "Yes, you weren't giving me a clear indication of whether you would buy her, so I went ahead and made the sale. Duchess this time."

  "I see. There aren't many Duchesses that don't have a man already for them." Sitting down iher chair. "I'm ing closer to a decision. There are just a few more people I o hear from. I'm pnning to make an annou soon about my aim for the . I will o pick up a man, or herm, after that. It takes four and half months for the sve to give birth, correct?" the messenger asks.

  "Yes, she has beehe st few pregnancies. We induce her to keep her on schedule if you o. But I'll need some payments to make that happen. It is risky for the kids."

  "What do you want?"

  "Some wive spots for Alzi. She has a few women she loves here. I want them to get a arry her if they both want that."

  "I'll think about it. A few weeks isn't too big of a deal. But I would like my husband to be happy. I'll have a rge harem as Queen anyways."

  "Thank you."

  "Now, what is the ce that it goes well past the four and half months?"

  "The only ce is a miscarriage or stillbirth. Both are basically impossible for her to have. She has a new womb tattoo, helping her keep the children alive along with her life mana. There is little ce that the sale would be deyed due to the womb sale."

  "That's Good. The ime I tact you, it will be with my decision on the sale."

  "I look forward to hearing your choice, Yhness."

  "Goodbye," leaving as fast as she came in.

  It sounds like I may be able to sneak Mai and Kelly into the deal. Hopefully, that will keep Vasati happy.