Resolution

"You have more faith in that than I do."

"Maybe, but they saw how you reacted to the unborn's death so Diamond is the one they will target."

My eyes flicked to the little girl who was sleeping in Bella's arms. The thought of anything hurting her made my blood run cold. Isa didn't say anything else as she watched my face. "It will be the last mistake my enemies make."

"Good, and you know we have to do something about it before our lord has to interfere?"

I nodded and glanced up at Vera who was watching us talk, "Our lord wants to stay out of our internal fights unless it starts to hurt his orders. If my house cannot protect itself it doesn't deserve to exist."

Isa tilted her head then leaned back again, "So what are you going to do after lunch?"

"I will have to start training with the messenger. I am surprised he let me put it off today."

"Well it isn't that you haven't been practicing." Isa looked over at Vera. She didn't look on the verge of collapse anymore.

"Hum, for some reason I don't think those kinds of spells were what he was planning on showing me."

"You couldn't have saved her without touching her, could you?" I knew she meant fucking her but I desided to answer the question Isa had asked and not the one implied.

"No, doesn't change that it was wrong though." Isa frowned at me, I got the feeling she knew I had been evasive, but she didn't call me on it. I think she was tired of the fight too.

"I am willing to concede I am being too hard on you but you have been very predictable and that you chose then to be less so bothers me more then I like to think about. No matter how out of it you had been at the time and no matter how hard Vera argues for you, Mir."

"Good to know I didn't scare her too much. Doesn't change what you choose to do though."

"I didn't know you could block the collars, is that why hers hasn't set?"

"No, it wasn't set because she was too close to death and the muscles weren't reacting like they should to her commands. The collars map the signal response that the body uses without that communication there wasn't anything for the collar to map. What you had tried would have worked because every human mind is mapped to feel pain the same, but I made it so the collar cannot hear those commands. Or I had hoped I had, couldn't be sure until someone tried to trigger it. Had not expected it to be you."

"Well, I am glad you aren't as much of an ass as I had feared and I could help you test it."

I watched as Vera touched her collar gentally again. With a sigh I admitted, "In the long run it was better for you to test it than one of my brothers when Vera won't do what they tell her too."

"Hum, you would think that was right. Your brothers would have bigger problems if they ever thought to order one of your slaves. What are your plans for tonight?"

"Have dinner with the house like normal then find my room. Why?"

"Many reasons, not the least of which is that I have to live with Vera and she will never forgive me if me nagging you made it so you wouldn't touch her again."

I rolled my eyes just a bit, "The rank difference is too much, I cannot even make the suggestion without it being an order. Thought we just went over that."

"Which is why you won't be the one making the suggestions, unless you are going to renege on who is in control of your bed?"

"You are going to have to explain that one to me, dear."

"If your wives get final say on who you do and when that would mean only I or Bella can order your three female slaves to your bed. Assuming you would never want the other three women you play with of course."

"See you do know me too well." Bella snorted then stood carefully shifting Diamond, to keep her from waking, "Bella, you should sleep while you can."

Bella frowned at me, "Now you are overstepping, dear. Unlike my sisters I will step on you if you try and tell me how to take care of Diamond or myself without being asked."

Ah, she wanted to be sure I didn't feel like I was being attacked by both of them at the same time and since Isa started she was going to let Isa get to the point where she felt satisfied. Probably wouldn't always work out that way but nice of them. "Yes, dear."

Bella nodded to me with a smile, and made her way to the door, which Vera opened before she got there. Dinner was crowded that night and everyone seemed to be watching my wives for their reactions but they pulled the tension out of the room with a few well placed words and smiles. Diamond seemed just as happy watching all her uncles as she had been watching her mothers. The brothers seemed to relax when they realized I had fixed whatever it was I had done to make the women mad at me, and they seemed more comfortable with Vera around now that she was dressed, even if it didn't hide much.

I spent most of the meal counting noses and bellies, my girl might be the oldest of the branch house but she wasn't going to be lonely long. Almost all of my brothers had at least one wife showing more of a belly than the abundant food could account for. I was doing some mental math with the branch house. Estro had to be the biggest main house, now, but that might depend on if you counted the slaves.

Isa managed to keep me from dwelling on that thought for too long. She was always good and keeping me from frowning at dinner. She told Bella and Diamond good night before almost dragging me up to my room. Vera followed behind her but at a slower pace.