Chapter 24 - Child Support

Aisha ran to her bedroom as soon as she was home. She would usually follow proper manners, such as removing the shoes beside the door, calling the maids to remove her gloves, and then bowing to her father if he was ever present in the house, but now all of that was of a very low priority. She kicked off the shoes and ran to her room, then locked the door.

She nearly tore off her clothes before jumping into bed with her chemise. She lifted it up to her belly and then probed two fingers near her clit.

Oh, Gray, she recalled his sweet face, the face he had when he pushed her down and entered her. I want you back.

She immediately wetted, and she felt a burning sensation around her tattoo. Somehow more memories flooded her, and she recalled the moments of their lovemaking as if it was happening right now.

Fuck me…fuck me, please!

Her mind went blank, and she arched her head back.

I'll be your wife. You impregnated me. So I should be your wife-

There was a knock at the door.

"Aisha!" It was her mother. Her annoying, crony voice. But it sounded sweet during sex. "Open the door."

"Not now mother!" she snapped. "I'm busy."

There was a pause, then a rattle of keys. In a moment the door swung open. Aisha gave a slight scream and pulled the chemise down. Her mother didn't look surprised, she just closed the door and walked to her. The same old elegant walk of the wife of Lord Crowail.

Didn't look so elegant when you were being fucked by Gray.

"He was nice, wasn't he?" Her mother pulled up her dress and then carried her fingers to the edge of her clit.

"Hey!" She pushed her away.

"Oh by the divines!" She pushed her hand away and explored her nether regions freely. "He impregnated us in the same bed Aisha. We can act a little less shy around each other."

My god, I kissed my mother!

Aisha suddenly felt ashamed by that thought, but it felt so lewd back then. Her mother's lips weren't very refusing either.

"Now, when your father comes back, I want you to tell him we didn't enjoy it," Montrea said, trying to maintain a straight face. "It was ugly, and it was painful, but we did it for the sake of duty."

"Wait, Father knew about this?"

"He hated it at first, but when I talked to him of the importance of you and me having a children, he agreed to it. So if he asks, we didn't enjoy it."

Aisha almost chuckled, which earned a frown. "Sorry Mother, I just remembered your face when he entered you."

"I'll cut that tongue of yours!" Montrea snapped. "We are carrying children. Something not many women in this kingdom have. But that's only half of the benefits," Montrea's lips curled into a smile. The good old snarky smile Aisha had seen for a long time. For once in that day, she knew she was looking at her actual mother. "The other benefits will help us get back our rewards."

"Wait, what benefits?" Aisha had never felt so confused in her life. "How much in the dark am I? First, you take me off to get impregnated without my consent-"

"-which you enjoyed. I knew you'd enjoy it. Every woman who meets Gray does."

"And then you speak about this deal?"

"Which will be explained during today's evening tea. So make sure to step out of this room and meet me and your father." Her mother stood up. She was almost about to walk out, but then paused and turned to Aisha. "I'm doing this for the sake of this family."

She bent down and kissed her. She used to do it when she was a kid. At least on the forehead, but this time she kissed her on the lips. Not a sweet goodbye kiss, but a long one with their tongues probing each other's mouth.

I'm kissing my mother…again!

And then Montrea pulled back, looked guilty about what she did, and left the room in a hurry.

Aisha lifted her dress again. This time until the tattoo was visible. When she touched it, memories of Gray awakened again.

She knew what she was feeling wasn't just lust.

She was in love.

ÕÕÕÕ

Aisha hated evening tea parties. She always had to sit through boring conversations between her mother and father where her mother would go through the accounts, and her father would occasionally give her life advice.

But this evening was more soothing. Her father, still in his fifties, was looking at the two of them like birds out of his grasp.

"Oh my poor, poor things," he touched Aisha's face, and she was irked by that touch. "I wish we had another way. But we need children to continue this family."

"Oh, it was horrible," Montrea dragged on the words more than she had to. "I just had to endure the pain thinking about this family's future."

You begged him to slap your ass and dirty talk you, Aisha thought, but kept silent. It was always best to keep silent.

"But now it's over," Lord Aiden Crowail drifted back to the cotton chair, keeping the cup of tea back on the saucer. "And we have the upper hand. Are you sure you are pregnant?"

"We are," Montrea kept a hand on Aisha's lap. "And everything will go according to plan."

"Can one of you tell what this plan of yours is about?" Aisha folded her hands. "And could you stop using me as a bargaining chip?"

She would have gone on a better rampage. She would have even dragged her father by the collar and slapped him in the face. But being the bargaining chip made her find the love of her life.

Her father calmly twisted his mustache. Something he does when he has a damn good plan. "When an unemployed woman has a child of a man with property and status, that man is legally required to provide her shelter and thirty percent of his income. New laws by the queen."

"My mother has you," Aisha said. "So do I. And we have this house."

Aiden's grin reached his ear. "Not if I divorce your mother and disregard you as my daughter."

For a moment Aisha had a horrifying feeling of what they were about to do. Gray is in trouble. I need to warn him…

"With me divorced and you out of this family Gray will have to find financial means to support us both," Montrea wasn't smiling. Her eyes said the opposite. "So if you and I legally request a home he'll have to give us back the estate, and a certain percentage of his income."

"Which in turn acts as an income source for us," Aisha's father grabbed the cup of tea, and took a calm sip. "And when the new tax system is imposed that boy Gray will have to pay for the property while we live freely earning his income. After you give birth I'll accept both you and your mother and give you back your former titles. We'll hire some newspaper boy to finish off the family drama on a good note."

There were footsteps in the corridor. And Aisha turned to see her mother's lawyer, Lord Darwin, approach them with his calm and cool smile.

"Just on time," Aiden smiled, motioning him to the seat. "Did everything go well?"

"Quite well, my lord. He signed the agreement, and he looked happy about it."

"Perfect," Aiden wiped his hands and gave a crooked smile similar to Aisha's mother. "All pieces are in play."

Aisha knew her father. He'd sacrifice anything and everything that mattered to him just to get a penny of gold. She and her mother were his latest sacrifices.

But mother… she looked at the woman. She was calmly sipping her tea, although not looking as happy as when a business transaction went her way.

All of them were using Gray. And she was the only one sane. Because she knew she loved him.

And she won't let him be harmed.