"You're scaring people," Bella pointed out.

Reed sniffed and rubbed the grin off his face with his hand. Along with the chasm inside him feeling significantly better, Reed had been afflicted with covetous greed. Reed pushed it aside once he identified that this was not his emotion. His current mood was mildly annoyed and more than just tipsy."Yeah. Didn't mean to do that. Dude was way too attached to being Pope. Definitely needed a staffing change." He stepped past Baltaz, heading to the courtyard. "You said there was a core for me here."

Priests rushed over to Baltaz to help the sobbing man up.

"Oh," Bella said, zipping past him to point at a statue holding a spear. "Plactru."

Reed nodded and stopped next to the statue. "Plactru," he said.

The spear dissolved, turning to mercury that ran down the statue's feet and over to Reed. This core was a lot smaller than the first one when it reformed as a bracelet. It rattled against his right wrist where the thicker bracelet was a hefty accessory on his left. He continued out to the courtyard and frowned as he was confronted by more unpleasantness.

Meg'ante, sporting a raccoon mask and broken nose, stood in a white t-shirt tied on the side to expose her trim stomach. She wore bikini bottoms and flip-flops. Next to her, Amel'issa wore a similar outfit, though she didn't fill out the white shirt as much as Meg did.

Saffron stood proudly at the end of the line, smirking, hands on her hips.

Reed nearly missed spotting Snow. She stood off to the side, dressed in her hakama and ukata as usual, apparently sitting this stupidity out.

"Astralitar. You were brought here to fulfil a sacred duty. To help you choose, I've set up a simple contest."

Stopping on the stairs, Reed popped the cork off his brandy bottle again and took a swig. He'd intended to save the rest for later, but this bullshit looked like it was about to take the last of his sanity.

Bella landed on his shoulder. "They've got a core suppresser set up," she reported. "Be careful."

Reed flicked his gaze around the area. There were plenty of weapons he could take and use. He wasn't familiar with swordfighting, but he knew how to brawl. Twelve guards had come along with the princesses. The other witnesses were the priests and the people who had come to pray. "You want me to choose one of y'all when y' can't even remember my fuckin name. But sure, go ahead. Show me what you got."

Amel'issa smiled broadly. "I remember." She cocked her hip and leaned forward coyly. "Red."

Sighing, Reed took another, longer pull.

Bella palmed her face.

Meg'ante flushed. "You've only said it once. What do you expect?"

"And yet, Meg'ante, I can remember y'all's names, even though Amel'issa only said them once," Reed pointed at the catgirl. "Your excuse is bullshit. You just got no respect for me. Just like you had no respect for Dylan."

Off to the side, Snow flinched, looking down, hands clutched together in front of her.

"That's all in the past," Saffron dismissed, stepping forward to take control of the situation.

Reed took a seat on the steps. "Well, don't these little things come with a talent show? Y'all gonna put on a cooking contest now? How about dance?"

"Is that what you want?" Meg'ante asked.

"I mean, I ain't gonna be impressed no matter what y'all do at this point, so may as well get it out of your system." Reed put his ankle on his other knee, then looked down at his legs with a grin.

"Our talents are perfectly easy to see," Saffron announced. "Now! Behold, and make your choice!" She waved her hand. A ball of sparkles condensed into a huge wave of water that built up and splashed across the three princesses.

Immediately soaked and freezing, the three sopping wet royals stood proudly.

Reed flicked his gaze from one perky pair to the next, took a long pull from his bottle, and said. "Snow wins, because she had the sense not to participate. Y'er supposed to be the next queens or something, right? This how you're gonna run the kingdom? Shit. At this rate, I'm team Demon Lord."

Striding down the remaining stairs, Reed polished off the bottle and popped the cork back into it with a slap. His audience stood agape, too shocked to move to stop him from approaching the princesses.

"H—how dare you!" Saffon shrieked, stomping her foot. "How dare you!"

"Keep that up and I'll dare to slap your bitch mouth. Clearly, you ain't been told no enough growin' up." Reed threatened. "I got no patience for your childish antics."

Amel'issa wheezed, sopping wet ears folded down, eyes wide.

"How dare you! You're but a child yourself!" Saffron shouted, stomping her foot in the mud. It splashed up her shins.

Reed snorted, then threw his head back, laughing so hard he bent forward to slap his thigh. "Joke's on you, sweetheart! Y'all summoned a bridge troll!"

Everyone gathered gasped in horror. The bystanders stepped back, huddling back against the door to the prayer room.

Amel'issa hurried behind the guards who rushed in, leveling their spears at him.

Meg'ante stepped forward, blocking his path. She cracked her knuckles.

"Lord Reed," Snow called. She pushed through the guards, trotting toward him. "Please don't joke like that. Just come with us. We can explain things and sort this out."

"I dunno. Looks like Meg here wants to lose some teeth," Reed said.

Snow clasped her hands together, tears in her eyes. "Please... I don't want you hurt!"

Reed smiled at her. "Aww, honey. This ain't nothin." The girl's whole face turned red. She looked away.

Saffron seethed, looking from Snow to Reed. Much as she clearly hated Reed, it was also clear that she was jealous that he was being nicer to Snow than he'd been to anyone else. "Meg'ante, subdue him. We'll force him to choose one of us once we get him back to the palace."

Bella gripped the edge of Reed's ear to whisper, "Are you sure? You got a surprise attack on her before, but Meg'ante is stronger than you."

Tossing the bottle by the neck, Reed caught it, sizing Meg'ante up. She knew what she was doing in a fight. She had that look about her. She had height on him, but he felt a bit stronger since he'd absorbed Beltaz's amulet.

The fight wasn't going to be easy, but Reed was pretty sure he'd get an opportunity to make a break for it, even if it meant doing something like taking one of the other princesses hostage.

Striding toward her, Reed refused to show any doubt in the outcome.

Meg'ante seemed surprised by Reed's resolve and lifted her fists, falling into a stance.

Suddenly rushing toward the giantess, Reed felt Bella fall off his ear. He threw the bottle toward Meg'ante's face, making her block. He was inside her reach two steps after that, slamming a quick one-two into her ribs.

She staggered back.

Reed refused to let her retreat and instead ducked around to her side with a low strike to the back of her thigh.

Meg'ante yelped and finally fled, putting distance between them. She lowered her stance, scowling. He'd gotten the drop on her that time, but she was taking him seriously this time. She settled into place, waiting for him to come to her.

**

Heart in her throat, Meg'ante tried to keep her cool.

This was thrilling.

The Astralitar knew how to fight. He'd broken one of her ribs with his punches. Every breath hurt, and she was doing her best not to grin...

He was grinning, though. There was a light in his eyes that denied his claim that he was a bridge troll. This man was nothing like Dylan. This, as Snow had insisted, was a man. Not a boy the way Dylan had been.

"Looks like you're enjoying yourself," Meg'ante said.

"I like my fights like I like my sex. Silent except for grunting. Got it?" Reed retorted.

Shocked, Meg'ante missed the timing on him closing the distance. He ducked around to her side. Foot snapping out, he kicked her leading knee, breaking her stance.

Staggering to face him, she got her guard back up. He was inside her reach again, though, repeatedly striking the same spot.

She could feel a second rib breaking under the onslaught. With little choice, she wrapped her arms around him. If she couldn't get a good strike on him from this angle, she could perhaps pin him. His face smashed into her wet breasts, his hot breath rolling into the cold shirt she wore in a way that made her blush.

The mood was broken quickly.

Along with her foot.

The Astralitar was very used to fighting hand-to-hand, and being crushed into her attributes didn't affect him at all.

She released him in shock and pain, but also felt a twinge of anger at his disinterest in her body. Dylan had been very interested in her breasts. How was this Astralitar completely unfazed? How dare he!

Meg'ante didn't have much time to contemplate her anger further. He slammed his elbow into her side, making her stagger.

She was losing this fight?!

Admittedly, she also knew that she hadn't been taking him seriously. She'd half-wanted him to win, because if she won, it would mean she'd rejected him as a husband. But this wasn't a marriage duel. Shaking her head, Meg'ante focused. She had to get a hit on him. Otherwise, she would look like a fool.

The Astralitar was coming in for another low attack.

She blocked. Her left fist popped out, clipping his jaw as he ducked. Her knuckles raked his lip across his teeth, drawing blood.

He grinned.

Meg'ante's knees went weak.

How's a man allowed to be this HOT?!