Sacrifice

Shortly before midnight, Andrew teleported to the guest room assigned to Fran, finding the white-haired rabbit girl curled up and resting on her side with closed eyes.

Sensing a change in the surrounding Mist, Fran immediately opened her eyes, staring at Andrew without raising her head. Then, before he could say anything, she said, "You should not tarry for too long. The Princess is not like to have gotten much rest."

"I'm starting to think you don't enjoy my company," said Andrew, adopting a wry smile.

"If that were the case, I wouldn't tolerate it," countered Fran, propping her head with the palm and elbow of her right arm, using the nail of her left index finger to caress the transparent fabric covering her abdomen as she added, "The Princess, she hungers for strength and is desperate for relief. Her failure and the lives lost during the fete weigh heavily upon her. Alleviate these burdens, and you will become the central pillar she clings to for support."

Maintaining his wry smile, Andrew remarked, "I love hearing you speak, but you should be more careful with your words. Though circumstances might insinuate the opposite, I'm not 'trying' to take advantage of her..."

"Equivalent exchange," stated Fran, referencing her and Andrew's chat in the Barheim Passage.

Though he felt compelled to scratch the back of his head, Andrew replied, "That's the simplest way to explain things..."

Nodding in affirmation, Fran expressed her support for Andrew, stating, "I understand. The power you possess is so great that there 'must' be a cost to obtain and make use of it. The Princess apprehends that well, so do not hesitate and go to her..."

"Yeah, yeah..." muttered Andrew, taking one last look at Fran's mature and shapely figure before vacating her room. In his wake, Fran rolled onto her stomach and exhaled a hot, relieved sigh. Her body had been in an 'active' state since her and Andrew's conversation in the forest. Had he been a bit more 'forceful,' Fran doubted she would have been able to refuse him...

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As Fran had insinuated, Ashe hadn't been able to rest as she sat at a desk, mulling over a document as she awaited Andrew's arrival. She harbored no small amount of 'hatred' toward the strange, monkey-tailed stranger, but if they could confer her the power she needed to restore her Kingdom, she was even willing to make a deal with a Devil...

*tok* *tok* *tok*

Hearing a faint knocking at her door, Ashe momentarily tensed before rising to answer it directly. There was no one outside when she looked through the peephole, but when she cracked the door open, a familiar voice emanated from seemingly empty space, asking, "Is this discreet enough...?"

"Hurry inside," replied Ashe, furrowing her brows but opening the door so Andrew could enter the room. Once she felt a faint warmth pass her, easy to deduce due to the chill within the room, she shut the door and adopted an apathetic mask as she turned to ask, "Are you certain no one followed you...?"

Appearing in the middle of the room, Andrew responded, "Even the Griffin statues protecting the Marquis's office cannot detect my presence unless I permit it."

"I see..." muttered Ashe, walking past Andrew, stopping near the end of the bed before turning around, crossing her arms, and stating, "I've been informed you possess the means to bankroll the Resistance and can help me acquire the power I seek. However, to obtain your support, I must be willing to give in equal measure. Is that correct...?"

"That's not entirely the case," said Andrew, matching Ashe's posture by crossing his arms, adding, "Truth be told, I don't mind letting you open a tab and accrue limitless debt. I'm not the exploitative monster you seem to think of me as, so as long as you're willing to heed my advice, you can repay me as you see fit."

Narrowing her eyes and frowning, Ashe asked, "And you expect me to trust such a claim?" before shaking her head and asserting, "I may not be as familiar with the ways of the world as some, but I understand not even alms are given without reason. You seek control over Dalmasca, and I will yield it to you in exchange for the peace and prosperity of my people. You previously said there was no limit to my selfishness, but my only desire is to see Dalmasca restored and its people free..."

Closing his eyes and exhaling through his nose, Andrew remarked, "I'm not fond of having my words taken out of context and weaponized against me..."

Before Ashe could respond or try to justify her statement, Andrew opened his eyes and said, "But I understand and respect your conviction. If this is the path you have decided for yourself, I will support it..."

Nodding solemnly, Ashe made her way over to the desk she had been seated at before Andrew knocked on her door, retrieving the document she had been perusing. Then, making her way over to Andrew, she held it out, explaining, "This is a contract. Read it, and if you agree to the terms, we will proceed to the binding ritual."

Accepting the stack of parchment paper proferred by Ashe, Andrew's eyes appeared to 'vibrate' due to how quickly he perused each page, finishing all seven in less than a minute. To summarize, Ashe was asking for unlimited support in the reclamation of her throne, and once she had been coronated, she requested ten billion Gil over five years to aid in her Kingdom's restoration. Beyond that, there were a few provisions about mutual cooperation between the Kingdoms of Dalmasca and Alexandria, but the most notable addendums regarded sovereignty, marriage, and the production of an heir. Ashe refused to allow Dalmasca to become a city-state, refused to remarry, and any children she had would be citizens of Dalmasca first and foremost.

"In other words, you want complete and total authority over your nation?" asked Andrew, raising his gaze to meet Ashe's.

"I don't mind heeding your counsel as an Advisor or Prime Minister, but I will never recognize anyone but my late father and husband as the rightful Kings of Dalmasca..." replied Ashe, her eyes filled with resolution.

"I understand," said Andrew, proferring the contract back to Ashe as he added, "Dalmasca is yours to rule, not by birthright, but by the weight of your convictions. The 'unlimited support' clause is a bit iffy, but as there is little you can do to force my hand if I disagree with your judgments, I see no reason to append things."

Though she was annoyed by the insinuation he might ignore her orders if he disagreed with them, Ashe blinked in surprise when she heard Andrew saw no reason to append things. She had anticipated they would spend at least a few hours negotiating before finally reaching a compromise. Now, even though they were more than a little extreme, she got the impression her demands were insignificant from Andrew's perspective...

'The wealth and power of the Kingdom of Alexandria must be far greater than I assumed...' thought Ashe, unaware that Andrew would be the one footing the bill for most of her demands. Ten billion Gil was far beyond his current means to produce, but he was confident he could acquire several times that amount in the time allotted in the contract...

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"What is that thing...?" asked Ashe, staring wide-eyed at Andrew's penis as she lay atop her bed in a pair of red, short-like panties and a gold-and-white brassier that exposed the top of her modest breasts.

Though he was tempted to ask if her husband didn't have one, Andrew adopted a smile and assured, "Don't worry. It might look intimidating, but you shouldn't have any significant issues accommodating it. We just need to make sure you're adequately prepared beforehand..."

Swallowing nervously, Ashe turned her head to the side, avoiding looking directly at Andrew's 'offensive' member as she muttered, "Just get on with it..."

Exhaling through his nose, Andrew gave up on trying to assuage Ashe's concerns and pushed up her feet so her knees were bent. Her inaction made it clear she expected him to do everything, but he didn't mind as it reminded him of how Y'shtola was initially. So long as he put his mind to it, he was confident he could whittle away Ashe's self-restraint until she purred just as loudly...

Sliding off Ashe's shorts, Andrew noticed she had recently shaven but was as arid as the deserts she hoped to rule over one day. She wasn't even remotely aroused, but Andrew knew he only needed time and a bit of persistence before her body betrayed her obstinacy.

Earning a disproving frown from the stubborn Princess, Andrew propped up Ashe's legs and raised her ass as if he were trying to bring her knees to the sides of her head. Then, holding her in that position by her waist, Andrew sank his tongue into her pale white vulva, contrasting the healthy tan covering the rest of her body.

"This kind of thing isn't necessary..." asserted Ashe, feeling equal parts anxious and disgusted. She had heard about such 'practices' among the commoners, but she couldn't believe Andrew was putting his mouth and tongue near where she peed and defecated. More worryingly, it actually felt good...

Ignoring Ashe's words, Andrew persisted until he could feel her insides beginning to warm and fluids other than his saliva beginning to emanate from her slightly twitching insides.

"That's enough...!" exclaimed Ashe, feeling 'something' rising from within her, filling her with apprehension. She then attempted to struggle free of Andrew's hold, but his hold on her waist was firm, and her protests failed to reach him as he used Silence to prevent her voice from leaking out and drawing the attention of patrolling guards.

As she and her late husband, Rasler, had only ever consummated their wedding night, Ashe had yet to experience a climax. She knew sex was supposed to be pleasurable, but her singular experience had been more emotionally than physically gratifying. It could never have prepared her for the pleasure Andrew was about to awaken her to.

Instead of releasing Ashe to bask in the glow of her first orgasm, Andrew redoubled his efforts, prolonging it until she experienced her second and third in short order. She gave up struggling after the first one, and by the third, her body had all but gone limp, silent but heavy breaths emanating from her throat as her lower body twitched and convulsed. Fortunately for her, she was a bit dehydrated, or she might have pissed herself.

Slowing his actions to a slow and deliberate lick, Andrew waited for Ashe to calm down before removing her Silence and stating, "That should do it for the preparations..."

Guiding Ashe to lie limply on the bed, Andrew met her 'hate-filled' gaze with a smile. He could tell she felt humiliated and embarrassed, but she didn't say anything as he spread her legs in an M-shape and positioned his dick at her entrance. He had already given her access to the system and explained its functions, so she knew it was 'pointless' to try and stop him.

"Hnnnngh~" groaned Ashe, feeling her insides stretch to their limits as Andrew sank his cock into her. She felt a distinct pop within her, followed by a twinge of pain, but it was fleeting as Andrew placed his hand on her abdomen, releasing a warm energy into her body that made her feel calm and relaxed. What Ashe didn't know was that Andrew had just perforated her still-intact hymen. She wasn't a virgin, but as Rasler had been overly excited and afraid to harm her, he failed to break it and blew his load the moment they started...

Fortunately for Ashe, Andrew saw no reason to inform her of the reality of her situation. Instead, he waited until she had acclimated to his intrusion before spending the better part of three hours christening her insides and body as his own...

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