Aldrich opened the door to his quarters. Solomon's memories guided him. The hallway had been long. Winding. Decorated with portraits of ancestors and tapestries depicting battles. Guards had bowed as he passed. Servants had pressed themselves against walls.
But now he was here. Alone. Finally.He stepped inside and closed the door behind him.The room was massive. Bigger than his entire apartment back on Earth. The ceiling was high, painted with scenes of clouds and angels. Crystal chandeliers hung overhead. Thick carpets covered the floor. Dark wood furniture was positioned throughout chairs, tables, wardrobes, bookshelves filled with leather bound volumes.
But what caught his attention most was the bed.It was giant. Easily large enough for five or six people. The frame was carved from dark wood , intricate designs running along every edge. The mattress looked impossibly soft, covered in silk sheets that seemed to shine in the candlelight. Pillows were stacked high. A canopy draped overhead, held up by four tall posts.
This was the very first time Aldrich had seen such a room. Such luxury. Such wealth.
His reaction was immediate. He walked toward the bed like a child seeing snow for the first time. His hand reached out. His fingers touched the fabric. It was soft. Impossibly soft. Like touching a cloud.
Back on Earth, he had slept on a cheap mattress. A thin one. The kind you buy from a discount store because it's all you can afford. His apartment had been small. One bedroom. Barely enough space to move around. He had been just a delivery guy trying to arrange his life. Trying to save money. Trying to survive.This was different. This was royalty.
He sat on the edge of the bed. It didn't creak. It didn't sag. It just accepted his weight perfectly. He lay back. His body sank slightly into the mattress. It felt like floating.
"I could get used to this," he muttered.
But just as he began to relax, the door burst open.Six women rushed into the room. All at once. Their voices filled the space instantly.
"My love!"
"Solomon!"
"You're alive!"
"How is this possible?"
They were beautiful. All of them. Stunningly beautiful. Their skin was flawless. Smooth.shining along the candlelight. Their hair ranged from dark black to golden blonde to deep red. Their dresses were elegant, fitted, showing their figures. And their figures were impossible to ignore. Heavy chests. Wide hips. Curves that seemed designed to distract.
They surrounded the bed immediately. Hands reached for him. Touching his face. His arms. His chest. Checking to see if he was real.
"Are you real? How are you alive?" one of them said, her voice trembling with emotion.
"We thought you were dead!" another cried, tears streaming down her face.
"We mourned you for years!" a third added, her hands gripping his shirt.
They pulled him. Dragged him back onto the bed. He was lying down now. All six women around him. Leaning over him. Their faces filled with relief and joy and confusion.
Aldrich's mind was racing. His heart was pounding. He could smell their perfume. Feel their body against his . See every detail of their faces, their lips, their eyes.
The first thought that came to his mind was immediate and honest.
"Why did Solomon marry all these women? What a nasty man."
And then the voice came. From within. Solomon's voice. Amused and Unapologetic.
"Well, I love beautiful women. That's why," Solomon said. His tone was casual. Matter of fact. "And in the Royal Kingdom, we have a lot of beauties, you know. What's wrong with appreciating them?"
He paused. Then added, "You never had a girlfriend, did you?"
Aldrich didn't respond. But he didn't need to. Solomon could feel it. The arousal. The physical reaction Aldrich's body was having from having this many women around him.
Solomon began laughing. The sound echoed in Aldrich's mind. "You can't hold yourself together with all my beautiful wives around, huh?"
Aldrich's face burned. He tried to think of something else. Anything else. But it wasn't working.Solomon's laughter grew louder. "Don't worry. You can have them if you want. I'm dead, after all. What do I care?"
But Aldrich's face betrayed him. The hesitation. The fear.Solomon caught on immediately. His laughter stopped. There was a pause. And then he spoke slowly. Disbelief in his voice.
"Don't tell me you're a virgin."
Aldrich stammered in his mind. *Well… yeah.*
Solomon exploded with laughter. He was rolling on the floor of their shared subconscious. "A virgin! You're a virgin! And you're in my body! With my six wives! This is the funniest thing I've ever experienced!"
Aldrich wanted to disappear. To sink into the mattress and never come back.But Solomon's laughter eventually died down. He took a breath. Then spoke more seriously. "Alright, alright. Listen. I can't allow you an inexperienced man to touch these women. They'll easily catch on that I'm not really me. Women know. They always know."
He paused. "We have to take your virginity away. But first, we must discharge them. Send them away for now. We'll deal with this problem later."
Aldrich nodded internally. That made sense. He needed time. Space. To think.He forced himself to smile. To project calm. To channel Solomon's confidence.He looked at the six women surrounding him. All of them staring at him with wide eyes. Waiting for answers.
"I missed you all," Aldrich said. His voice was steady. Controlled. "And yes, I am real."
One of the women leaned closer. She was the tallest. Her hair was dark, almost black. Her eyes were sharp. Intelligent. She spoke carefully. "How did you manage to survive, my love? We saw your body. We attended your funeral."
Aldrich took a breath. He had to sell this. Had to make it believable.
"I never died," he said quietly. He looked each of them in the eyes. One by one. "But I need you all to promise me something. Promise you'll never tell anyone what I'm about to say."
They all nodded immediately. Desperate for answers. Desperate to understand.
"After the fight with Augustus," Aldrich began, "I realized I didn't want the throne anymore. I didn't want to compete. I didn't want to fight my brother. So I made a choice."
He paused for effect. "I faked my death. I let Augustus think he won. I let him have the throne. And I went on a vacation. Far away. Where no one could find me."
The reactions were immediate.The tallest woman gasped. Her hand covered her mouth. Shock and disbelief filled her face.The second woman, with golden blonde hair, began crying harder. "You left us? You let us think you were dead?"
The third, a redhead with green eyes, looked angry. Her jaw was tight. "Do you know what we went through? The grief? The pain?"
The fourth, with brown hair and soft features, just stared. Silent. Processing.
The fifth, younger than the others with black hair, whispered, "But why? Why would you do that to us?"
The sixth, with silver streaked hair and sharp cheekbones, said nothing. She just watched him.Aldrich held up his hand. "I know. I know it was cruel. But I had my reasons. And I'm back now. That's what matters."
He stood up from the bed. "That will be all for now. I'll call for you when I'm ready. I need time to adjust. To think. You understand, don't you?"
The women hesitated. But eventually, they nodded. One by one, they stood. They touched his face one last time. Kissed his cheek. Whispered words of love and relief.And then they left. The door closed behind them.
Aldrich stood alone in the massive room. His heart was still racing. His hands were shaking slightly.In his mind, Solomon spoke. "Well done. That was convincing enough. For now."
He paused. "But tonight, we have work to do. You need to lose your virginity. Or at least learn how to act like you haven't. Because if those women get close to you again, they'll know something is wrong."
Aldrich groaned. *This is insane.*
"Welcome to royalty," Solomon said, laughing.
Meanwhile, across the Royal Kingdom, others were settling into their new lives.Kira had arrived at the Slothwell estate. It was different from the royal palace. Less gold. Less grandeur. But still impressive. The architecture was elegant. Simple. Functional. Gardens surrounded the main building. Training grounds were visible in the distance.
Liora had greeted her personally. Cigarette in hand. Eyes sharp. "Welcome to the family, girl. You'll start training tomorrow. Don't disappoint me."
Kira had simply nodded. She was used to this. Used to cold receptions. Used to having to prove herself.But as she walked through the halls toward her assigned quarters, her mind kept drifting back to the palace. To Aldrich. To the way he had looked at her before they were separated.
Something was different about him. She couldn't explain it. But she knew. Something had changed.
Sunny had been taken to the Heartveil estate. It was the most traditional of the four family compounds. Stone buildings. High walls. Training dummies and weapon racks everywhere.Silas had greeted him with a simple nod. "You'll train with the others. Prove your worth. Survive. That's all I ask."
Sunny had smiled. That same knowing smile. "I'll do more than survive."
Silas had studied him for a long moment. Then turned and walked away without another word.Sunny stood alone in the courtyard. His eyes scanned everything. Every exit. He was planning something.
But Kai's situation was different.He had been taken to the Makaveli estate. But instead of a traditional compound, he was led underground. Down stone stairs. Through narrow corridors lit by blue essence lamps. Deeper and deeper.
Until they reached a laboratory.It was massive. The ceiling was high. Glass tubes lined the walls, filled with strange liquids and floating objects. Machines hummed softly. Tables were covered with tools, diagrams, and notes. The smell was clinical and cold.
In the center of the room stood Lucian Makaveli.He wore a white coat over his usual clothing. His hands were behind his back. His eyes were locked on Kai.
Kai stood at the entrance. His bandaged face gave nothing away. But he was analyzing.Lucian smiled. It was a thin smile. Calculating. "At the tournament, I've been curious to know what your body is made of. What kind of person you are."
He walked slowly around Kai. Circling. Studying him like a specimen. "Your essence level is abnormal. Your library is forbidden. Your power defies normal classification."
He stopped in front of Kai. "I'm lucky to have you here. We will do great things together. You and I. Things that will change this kingdom. Change this world."
Kai said nothing. He just stood there. Silent. Unreadable.Lucian's smile widened. "Welcome to the Makaveli family, Kai. Let's see what you're truly capable of."