Page 63 of Mated to the Alien Warlord

DespiteChrissy'sprotests,Alahnadecked her out with clothing, furs, blankets, gloves, scarfs, whatever she could think of, before we saw the human woman and Kendryx off in one of King Uthar's ships.

"Now we wait?" I asked Vandor, leaning into him after the ship slowly vanished on the horizon. We stood on the balcony of our room, freezing, as the icy wind gained intensity.

"Now we wait," he agreed with a sigh. "Gryck is not happy about it, but the weather looks as if it's going to take a turn for the worst. We're going to be trapped here for the foreseeable future."

"There could be worse places," I pointed out.

He nuzzled my ear. "Kar," he agreed.

We returned to our chamber where a cozy fire warmed the room and several gas lights as well as candles gave out soft illumination.

Murtagh slumbered in a crib Alahna had found for us, and Vandor and I snuggled up on the bed.

It was still too early for us to have sex. My body wasn't quite ready yet, but I enjoyed just lying in his arms even though sweet arousal pulsed through my blood.

"Gryck sent messengers to two males who will replace Fionbyr and Grobhan. Hopefully they'll make their way to the strongholds and will be able to restore order before the humans attack," Vandor said, drawing lazy circles with his finger on my upper arm.

"Alahna said he's also going to create more warlords?" I asked, rubbing my nose because one of the hairs on his happy trail tickled it. I adjusted my position, and Vandor groaned. I giggled when I saw the evidence of him yearning for my body as much as I did for him.

"Kar, he's going to hold a council meeting soon. It will be a hard decision. We have already lost so many warriors with the civil war, and if we build more strongholds, they will need to be manned," Vandor filled me in.

He didn't need to say it, but I understood that those warriors would be drawn from our army and those of the other warlords, thinning us out even more.

"You will need to train more warriors," I said.

"Kar, but they will have to come from somewhere. It will mean fewer farmers to grow crops to feed our warriors, fewer apprentices in the towns' shops." He sighed heavily.

An idea occurred to me. "I've been meaning to talk to you about this."

"What, czira?"

"Do you know what happens to the widows of your warriors or their sisters, daughters?" I asked, turning my head to look at him instead of his hardening cock. I leaned my head on an elbow, accidentally pushing on his stomach until he winced. "I'm sorry," I readjusted myself.

"I imagine their families take them in," Vandor speculated.

"Sometimes, but not always." I shared what I had learned from traveling with the camp followers. They had given me a new perspective and now it was time I made good on a vow I made during my trip. "Sometimes the women are stranded far away from their families, and sometimes the families are too poor to take them in."

"Are you talking about Lynette and Syseann?"

"Them and many others," I tried to explain my plan. "Most of the women weren't given a choice when they were forced to prostitute themselves to your warriors."

"We will find worthy males for them or positions so they can fend for themselves," Vandor promised.

"It's not just them," I explained. "It's not right that your warriors lose their lives in your service, leaving their women destitute. That's not what they would have wanted."

Vandor narrowed his eyes, deep in thought. "I suppose not. I never thought about it."

"Of course you didn't. You have so many other worries, and so do the other warlords, but it happens. And not only in war. Men get killed in training or on the hunt. Some die of a heart attack or a fever. My point is that when they leave family behind, wives, sisters, daughters, whatever, they don't always leave them in a financially stable position."

He cocked his head, sensing I was leading up to something. "So what do you want to do?"

"I want to fund places where they will be safe."

"That is a noble venture," he said carefully, "but it will require many credits, especially given the coming battle with the humans."

"But you want your warriors to concentrate on the war, not fretting over their female dependents," I pointed out before I threw in my selling point. "Which brings me to solving your dilemma."

His skeptical expression showed his dubiousness over my plan. "See, I want the women to be self-sufficient. I want to give them a roof over their heads, but I want to also get them to where they can take care of themselves by learning a trade."

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