Princess Hannah of the Jade Harem CH 67

“I could get used to this,” Frank said as he reclined on the back of Hannah’s plant dragon. It stalked across the snow, easily navigating the ledge. Behind him came three girls, trudging through the snow as they carried a statue awkwardly.

“Why are we carrying this?” Hannah grumbled. “A gentleman wouldn’t make a lady do this.”

“You’re not a lady,” Breanne grunted. “And I think this is payback for all the heavy things you made him carry in the early days.”

Hannah recalled the many times she had twisted Frank's arm to get him to carry away something she wanted. She realized it had been a little excessive, but he was strong and could carry things easier. Now she had to wonder if this was payback for all those times she treated him like a pack mule.

“I knew we were in trouble when he said how nice it was we were slave girls,” Quinny added.

“So did I,” Breanne agreed. “But he has us by the tail. We did promise to obey him.”

“I regret all my decisions,” Hannah said as she nearly slipped. “His power has gone to his head.”

“It’s not that heavy,” Frank called from his comfortable perch on the back of the dragon. Webster sat with him, chirping out commands to keep moving.

“Even my spider is on his side,” Hannah moaned as she glared at him. “If it’s not that heavy, why aren’t you carrying it?”

“I have slaves to do that,” Frank replied with a toothy smile.

“I am going to ask Blackbast to sell me back to Rajeen,” Hannah threatened.

“She will say it’s my decision,” Frank pointed out. “Now stop complaining and go faster. I want to get back to the harem and have a massage.”

“Oh, he is enjoying this,” Hannah spat as she nearly stumbled in the snow.

“He is our master,” Umtha agreed. “But I am starting to wish I had lost that crown.”

“See, even Umtha is mad at you,” Hannah called.

“You don't get to be mad,” Frank replied, motioning them on. “Now, pick up the pace.”

“I blame you for this,” Breanne said as she shifted her grip. “You made him carry anything heavy while you walked around with empty hands.”

“Of course, I made him carry the heavy stuff,” Hannah argued. “He could lift it with ease.”

“You have devil strength, so you should have no problems,” Frank called.

“I am going to bite him later,” Hannah threatened. They struggled for ten minutes more until the snow ended at a steep ledge. The girls came to a halt as they looked over the side and realized they couldn’t navigate it with a statue in their hands. At best, they would tumble down the slope, being battered by the statue as they fell.

“We will never be able to carry this down that slope,” Breanne pointed out.

“Maybe we can fly it down if we work together?” Umtha asked, her eyes big, hoping an easy answer might be found.

“I don’t think we can fly with this,” Breanne countered. “Besides, all four of us would be pulling in different directions. At best, we will fall like a bunch of flailing idiots.”

“There has to be a way to get it down,” Quinny said.

“Why did you stop?” Frank called as the dragon walked up beside them.

“Why do you think?” Hannah said as she nodded to the ledge. “None of us want to die trying to get your ego monument down.”

“You're the one who didn’t want to smash it,” Frank reminded.

“That was before you said I had to carry it,” Hannah growled. “Right now, I am all for chucking it over the cliff and letting the fall do the work.”

Frank looked amused as he looked to Webster and asked the spider if he should help. Webster chirped in reply, and Frank swung his legs free to jump down.

“You're right. I should show them how to do it right,” Frank said.

“Do it right?” Hannah snapped and then urged the girls to set the statue down. They set it in the snow and she went right up to Frank to glower at him. “You think you can get this down?”

“Easily,” Frank replied as he flexed a gray ghoulish arm.

“Oh, please,” Hannah laughed. “That statue is going to crush you after your brief fall to the bottom.”

“I will get it to the palace without a scratch,” Frank insisted.

Hannah felt anger bubbling up, but she bit it back and thought better of it. Frank was being smug so she challenged him, saying she would crawl at his feet for a day if he could get that statue to the temple without falling.

“No, you will wear a ball gag and a leash,” Frank said. “All four of you will for one week.”

“Fine, but if you drop that thing, you have to wear my collar and be my slave pet for a week!” Hannah threatened. She smiled when Frank accepted the terms and walked to the statue as if about to grab hold of it.

“You do realize he’s going to beat you,” Breanne said as Hannah joined her side.

“What?” Hannah balked. “There is no way he can carry that statue down that cliff face. Even with his claws to dig into the stone the thing is too awkward to carry.”

“I don’t know how he’s going to do it, but if he accepted that bet, then he must have a plan,” Breanne insisted.

Hannah shook her head and waited to see what this fabulous plan was. Frank walked around the statue as if considering it, then reached into a small pouch at his waist. He plucked something from the pouch and placed it in the snow before commanding it to open. Suddenly, a round portal appeared in a wooden frame, growing until it was large enough for five people to pass through. They could see sunlight and the palace walls on the other side, indicating that the portal had opened in the palace garden.

“What is that?” Hannah demanded as she gestured to the portal.

“One of our magic doors,” Frank replied as he lifted the statue. “We don't use it anymore, so I have one end set up in the gardens and the other in my pouch in case we need it.”

“You had that door on you the whole time!” Hannah barked to see Frank nod. “Then why didn't you use it down in the caves? You made us carry that thing up all those twisting tunnels and into the snow!”

“So I did,” Frank said as he easily hefted the statue over one shoulder and stepped across the portal. They watched as he stood the statue upright and turned it to face them. “Done,” he called from the other side. “I win the bet.”

“Did he just play us for fools?” Quinny asked.

“Honestly, did you expect anything less?” Breanne scoffed.

“Frank is really smart,” Umtha agreed.

“Come on,” Frank called from the other side. “Rajeen has gags in the harem.”

“I regret my life,” Hannah moaned and smacked her face with a hand.

“I told you he would win,” Breanne groaned. “But you never learn your lesson.”

“A gag in for a whole week?” Quinny said. “How will we play with the girls in the harem?”

“He's not going to make us do this,” Hannah said and led the way, stepping across the portal to stand before a smiling Frank. “Will you?”

“You did make a bet,” Frank pointed out.

“I liked you better when you were timid and shy around girls,” Hannah said.

“You are the one who made this foolish bet,” Breanne said as she and the others arrived. The plant dragon came last, with Webster on its back like some odd arachnid knight. Hannah waited for Frank to blink and nearly breathed a sigh of relief when he swept her up.

“Alright, no gags,” he said. “After all, it would make your duty in the forest impossible.”

“Oh, is that all you’re worried about,” Hannah laughed and leaned in for a firm hug, her feet dangling in the air.

“Still mad at me?” Frank asked as he held her to his chest.

“Yes, but I will refrain from biting you just this once,” Hannah replied.

“Touching as this moment is, we need to seriously discuss the implications this statue and the crown have,” Breanne reminded.

“Bah, you are always so serious,” Quinny cut in. “Let them have their hug. There is plenty of time to talk about that later.”

“I just worry what this means,” Breanne replied as she moved to stand before the statue. “If word of that crown gets out, our enemies will surely descend on us.”

“It’s in the buffer,” Hannah said as Frank set her down. “And it can stay there until we know more about it.”

“I agree,” Frank said, motioning them to follow him to the railing. They went to the far edge of the garden, where Frank leaned on the wall and looked over the city below. Hannah could see a calculating look in his eye as he deeply considered his next words.

“I have no memory of this crown or any role with the necromancers,” he said at last. “Nor am I having flashbacks to previous memories like Hannah is. I can't deny that the crown was meant for me, but I say we leave it in the buffer until we have some reason to need it. We will tell the others about what we found, but outside the protected chambers, nobody is to utter a word about this.”

Hannah was impressed by how well he was handling this, especially considering how she nearly broke down when it happened to her. Still, she knew he was holding a lot in and came to his side to put an arm around his back. The girls followed suit, crowding in to surround him with love as they offered silent comfort to the man they loved.

“Thank you,” Frank said as his massive gray shoulders sank. “I could use some comfort.”

“We are here for you,” Breanne said as she reached up to caress the back of his head. “And we always will be.”

They stayed at the wall, stroking his back while he worked through his thoughts. When he was ready, he took his human form, then went into the palace and directly to the harem chambers where Rajeen and Blackbast sat together with a dozen women lounging at their feet. It only took one glance from Blackbast to know something was wrong, and she quickly rushed to Frank.

“What is troubling you?” she begged while taking his hand.

“We found something in the mountains,” Frank explained. “Are Roric and Zillix around? They need to be here when I explain it.”

Rajeen overheard everything and sent girls to gather the missing masters. They assembled in the garden, standing before the statue as Frank handed out the note they discovered. Then he explained the cave, the statue, and ultimately the crown, but he refused to call it by name. He then suggested they retreat to Gwen's castle and use her ultra-secure rooms to discuss it.

Gwen was brought in for this part, and she looked notably angry when the name was finally spoken.

“You are sure it's the crown of ten dooms?” Gwen asked, her voice sharp.

“I have no idea what that is,” Roric said as he looked to his girls, seeing none of them did either. Blackbast and Rajeen reacted with some measure of understanding, and Rajeen asked if she could see it.

Hannah used her magic to call it from the buffer and placed it on the table in the center of the room. Gwen moved away from it as if being around it was unpleasant, and Rajeen looked down to shake her head.

“That it was hidden here cannot be a coincidence,” Rajeen said.

“Of course it wasn’t,” Blackbast agreed. “This entire region was left for Hannah and Frank specifically. This is probably only the beginning of what we will find.”

“If anyone learns about this, it will lead to chaos,” Rajeen insisted. “The crown must be a secret.”

“I don't remember any of this,” Frank said. “As far as I am concerned, it can go into the buffer and be forgotten.”

Hannah understood his point of view and shared his feelings, but she had long since learned that pretending her problems didn't exist wasn't a solution. She recommended that they make some effort to learn about the crown and its history. She asked if anyone had more information about it or knew someone who did.

“It was a cursed item, as I recall,” Gwen began. “An artifact made by the necromancers and an alliance of other magical classes. It is said the wearer has supernatural powers over the undead, but to wear the crown, one must die.”

“Does that mean you have to be undead to wear it?” Quinny asked.

“It does seem to imply that,” Breanne agreed. “But it could mean a lot of other things. Is there more to that statement?”

“All I know are the rumors,” Gwen sighed. “And that the general of the necromancer’s army that damn near beat Kevin was the one who wore it.”

“Frank nearly beat the united army of hero players?” Evalynn gasped as the others went silent. “I can’t imagine such an achievement.”

“Are we even sure that Frank was the ghoul king?” Quinny asked. “I am sure he's not the only ghoul player. We have met Iskathet, and she said there were others. He has no memory of it; maybe it's not him.”

Hannah had to nod and admit that they couldn’t be sure, but then it was hidden here, in a statue that looked just like him. It had to mean the crown was meant for Frank, even if he wasn’t the original ghoul king.

“What about the so-called curses that have to be overcome?” Umtha asked as she eyed the red gems warily.

“You mean you don’t know about that?” Hannah asked. “Weren’t you around to see all this unfold?”

“I was around before it turned into a full-scale war,” Umtha corrected. “And when it did, I was working with the goblins, not the undead. I heard Frank had taken an important role and about the ghoul king. I always suspected it was him, but I had no way of being sure. I do know that this crown is linked to terrible things happening, and the rumor was it drove the ghoul king mad with power.”

“I would never go mad with power,” Frank insisted.

“Say’s the man who made us carry that statue just to amuse himself,” Hannah quipped.

“I did that for fun,” Frank admitted. “But I don’t want to hurt people on a mass scale. I want to build a home where people can be happy. I don’t mind if they die in the adventures because they knew the risks and challenges, but I wouldn’t go out seeking to do harm.”

“Well, for what it’s worth, I don’t see you doing that either,” Hannah agreed. “You are the kindest man I know.”

“Kind or not, if one word of this crown being found leaves this room, it will lead to disaster,” Gwen stated as she glared at it. “Put it back in the buffer and leave it to rot.”

“Is that really going to change anything?” Jaina asked as she stood beside Roric. “If he was meant to have this crown, then events that will lead to his needing to use it will unfold sooner or later.”

“Please be wrong about that,” Rajeen grumbled as she rested her face in hand. “For all our sakes.”

The discussion continued as Hannah took up the crown and looked it over in detail. She thought about taking it to Legeis and having it put through the detection machine, but for now, it needed to go away. With a quick spell, she opened a black void in the air and put the crown inside. It was gone in the blink of an eye, hidden in the buffer where none would ever find it. She then sat in Frank's lap, leaning into his chest for support. She was disappointed that nobody knew why they called it the Crown of Ten Dooms. Everything was shrouded in rumor and mystery that seemed almost intentional as if somebody went to a lot of trouble to sow confusion.

In the end, they all agreed to place the statue in the palace garden to make it appear to be just another statue of Frank. It would blend in, hiding in plain sight, and cause nobody to think twice about it. As for the crown, the moment they left the room, they were not even to think of it. Evoking a powerful symbol of the necromancer war and then tying it to Frank was a disaster in the making.

They departed to the harem, where Frank sat on his throne, with Blackbast attending him. Hannah and her girts lay at his feet, cuddling with some of the other girls. Everything was back to normal, but there was a weight on their shoulders. Thankfully, that weight was replaced by Jaina's hands as she began to rub tenderly.

“It's bothering you, isn't it?” she asked as she settled behind Hannah.

“It is, but not so much for my sake,” Hannah replied and glanced up at Frank, who was holding Blackbast close. “I worry about Frank. He's acting like it doesn't bother him, but I can tell when he's hurting. He doesn't like knowing he was involved in all this past nonsense.”

“He was involved, though,” Umtha said as she leaned in to join the conversation. “You and he were inseparable.”

“And you were my lover,” Hannah said. “How is it you don't know if Frank is the ghoul king?”

“You kept a lot of secrets,” Umtha replied with a pout. “Even from me. Frank went away to deal with the rising threat while you went on a mission. I was sent to help organize the goblins, and for a bit, we were apart. Then the fighting really started, and I only saw you for brief moments as you rushed about. Every time we met, you were more and more desperate, as if something were tearing you apart. You kept asking when the machine would be ready and said you had a plan.”

“A plan for what?” Jaina asked.

“To recover the pieces of the thing Kevin broke so you could use the machine to fix it,” Umtha replied. “Near the end, that was all you cared about.”

“I really need to figure out what he broke,” Hannah said as Jaina’s hands did wonders for her neck. “But later, after my massage.”

“Oh, so you like massages?” Jaina laughed.

“Name a girl who doesn't,” Hannah sighed. She smiled as Umtha began to play with her tail, and her eyes wandered over the harem. She saw girls cuddling, kissing, and doing much more, all with natural tenderness and love. She sometimes wondered if this was heaven but was constantly reminded that their slice of heaven was tenuous.

“I need a distraction,” Hannah sighed as her shoulders slumped.

“I know; why don't we go to the forest and have some fun,” Jaina suggested.

“I don’t want to leave Frank when he needs me,” Hannah replied.

“I will make sure he's taken care of,” Umtha said. “You go and play. There are plenty of girls here to keep him occupied.”

Hannah took a deep breath and turned to smile at Jaina. She agreed to go but insisted on returning by the night phase so she could sing the lullaby. Jaina nodded, and together, they slipped away, heading for the forest and the sexy adventures that waited.