The second beauty had a hint of brown in her curly hair, a cute face, a modest bust but full, round hips. What really drew my attention though were her eyes: controlled and calculating, a sign of quiet intellect.
"My lord," she bowed stiffly.
"Welcome. Please, have a seat."
I got straight to the point.
"You are twenty-one, the oldest of the group. Why aren't you wed or spoken for yet?"
"I haven't found anyone worthy."
Self respect. Good sign.
"Don't your parents badger you about it?"
"Yes, constantly."
Persistence. Another good sign, but could also be pigheadedness.
"And what makes a man worthy in your mind."
"Someone who wouldn't completely disregard me as if I were a child, and wouldn't abuse me."
It was rather sad that her expectations were so low.
"I can do that. Tell me, why are you here to be a concubine?"
She hesitated, eyes darting around.
"Truth will serve you better," I warned.
"I've been hearing about the new things you're making and... my father is sick. I was hoping you could help with that. I'm also very thankful to you for saving our lives."
"I'm not a medical expert, so I cannot guarantee anything," I told her, "but I can take a look to see if I can do something."
She bowed deeply. "I would be in your debt."
That talk ruined the mood, but she was the best candidate by far. As I was thinking about how to turn things around, she broke the silence herself.
"My lord, why are you looking for a concubine and not a wife."
"Politics. When we become rich and prosperous, and trust me, we will, powerful countries will want us, by any means possible. If I'm an eligible bachelor, they might consider throwing a noble daughter at me, instead of an army."
There was also another obvious incentive for me, and I had to threaten my mind into submission before it made me smirk.
Her eyes widened with comprehension. She was definitely smart, but probably lacked education.
"Do you plan on leaving me once you've had your fun?" she asked.
"No, I don't sleep around like that. If I come to like you, you will have to be the one to push me away, as we will be wed in all but name."
She hesitated for a moment before asking me, "If I might ask... What do you find appealing in a woman?"
Finally interested, are we?
"Loyalty, compassion, level-headedness, and of course, beauty." I replied honestly.
"I... I think I have those traits," she stammered, a blush creeping up her face. "I'm loyal, sensible, good with children and... you have already seen the rest."
"And fairly smart and assertive as well," I added, while smirking, as I made my decision. I wanted to hug her so badly.
"You don't hate that?" she asked in confusion.
"No. As long as you're not assertive to the point of being pushy."
"I'm not!" she said nervously. At least I didn't have to wonder if she genuinely liked me, at least a little bit, or not.
Internally, I began sweating. Even though this wasn't officially a marriage, the part of me that was scared of any sort of commitment was going nuts. I told it to shut up by imagining the things I wanted to do to the gorgeous young woman in front of me.
I pulled her up from her seat. As she gazed at me with her beautiful brown eyes, they suddenly narrowed.
"Who is Kathie Lee?" she asked.
"Who?"
"When you were sick, I took care of you for a few days. You were mumbling about her in your sleep, saying how you would love to lay her down and lick every inch of her body with your tongue." She said in a stern voice.
I was confused for a moment, then had to step away from her as a laughing fit overtook me.
When I finally managed to catch my breath, I explained to her, "it's a joke song." I explained, looking deeply into her eyes, "I do plan on doing all those things to you."
Her blush deepened further.
My time with my new girl was interrupted when I was asked to attend an issue. Some boys had seriously injured a peer during a brawl.
"How would you handle the situation, Aprilia?" I asked her.
"Me?"
"Yes, you. You seem to have a fairly capable mind in that pretty head of yours, so I would put it to good use... or do you just plan on staying in bed all day, waiting for me?"
"No, I don't. I'll help you in whatever way I can. Lash the idiots to know the pain they've caused. Then put them to hard labor."
"Harsh," I said. "I think they're young enough for a gentler approach."
"They are fourteen! Almost grown men!"
"Have you been around fourteen year olds? They are half children. Their brains aren't even physically fully grown, let alone matured."
This harsh world might have forced them to mature, but even the Cha's brutal experience couldn't make the children's brains grow.
"I still think your gentle ways will spoil them."
"Maybe, but I'm willing to take the risk."
---
Three boys were brought in front of me, none of whom looked older than fourteen.
"So you think you are brave strong men, do you?" I said to the nervous delinquents.
"Do you know what brave men do? They protect their community, but that requires more than just being brave and violent. Real warriors have skills." And a sense of responsibility, not that it would mean anything to the youngsters.
"They know how to hunt, how to fight and how to survive. How to identify what is edible, what is not, and other skills. Do you want those skills?"
I got some hesitant nods in response.
"All right. Let's establish the Boy Scouts of Chadom."
We arranged for them to be trained by a Hunter one day and to patrol the Triangle route, Cradle to East Gate to West Point and back, every other day, while carrying some limestone back to Cradle.
Delinquents trained, route patrolled, free labor acquired, and a hot girl gained. I was having a good day.
Aprilia and I discussed a few other matters, which only reinforced my decision to choose her. I bid her goodbye and invited her to join me on one of my patrols the next day.
The next morning we went to the nut grove together, had a nice picnic, and talked about our past, well Jack's past and hers, our dreams, hopes and whatnot.
I decided to extend the courtship and met her several times over the course of next few days under the guise of her bringing food.
Seeing how both of us were attracted to each other and were fairly compatible, we finally made the decision to begin a relationship.
We went to meet her parents, where I found out that little miss responsible hadn't told them that she had answered my call. I promised her parents that I would take care of their daughter for the rest of her life and why we couldn't marry.
They weren't thrilled about us not marrying, but understood my reasons. They were glad that she had finally found someone, so ultimately agreed to the union.
I took a look at her father, who didn't look very sick.
"Father has been complaining of joint pain for weeks," Aprilia said, her voice tense. "And suddenly his gums started bleeding!"
"Aprilia, it's not a big deal!" he protested.
That sounded like scurvy.
"What were you eating during the exodus?" I asked him.
"Hard tack and jerky, just like everyone else."
Standard malnutrition.
"Now the food is much better, right? Have you been eating any berries?"
"No," Aprilia replied, scowling at her father. "He gives them away to the children. Says they need the treats."
"Your condition sounds like a condition called scurvy," I told him. "Sailors on long trips, who don't have the luxury of variety in their diet, often suffer from it. Berries can cure it, but you will need to eat at least a handful a day for a month or two to see any improvement."
"Thank you, my lord."
They decided to throw her a farewell party the next day in lieu of a marriage ceremony, and she would move in with me the day after that.
I took her aside to confirm something. "If you agreed to be with me only because of your father's condition, you can back off now. Last chance."
I badly wished she would not. She was beautiful, smart, humble and responsible. If she turned out to be loyal, she would be the perfect package. My eyes must've betrayed my desire as she got very close to me.
"Did you truly mean it when you said you would not throw me away?" She said, barely above a whisper.
"Yes. We haven't known each other for long, but from what I have seen, I think we are quite compatible. If our relationship works out, it will essentially be a marriage."
"What about the woman you will be officially marrying?"
"She will have to accept our relationship. Plenty of men of means have mistresses on the side, so it's not something unexpected. I promise you: I won't throw you away, ever."
"Okay," she said, her voice soft. "To be honest, I do want to be with you. You saved our lives, you are smart, handsome, value me for more than just my body, and you are a good man who is looking after everyone. You need someone who will look after you."
She got even closer. I was going to pull her into my arms when she pulled me into a secluded area and almost crushed my mouth with her luscious lips. I reciprocated and enjoyed her attention.
"This is for saving our lives back then," she breathed between kisses.. "You almost died saving my family."
I tried my best to not show the guilt coursing through me. Poor Jack deserved that kiss, but he would never receive it. A part of me urged me to end things with her, as I wasn't the man she thought I was, but I was too selfish to give her up. I would just have to tell her the truth sooner rather than later, and hope for the best.