DD2 -CH1-

 Reliving It -

Ryker woke up slowly. He hurt. Hurt all over. It was if every part of his body had at least an ache, and some had more.

Groaning, he began to slowly stretch himself out. His body refused his commands at first, screeching at him and his attempts.

Especially his side where Claire had stabbed him. That was an especially tender point for him right now. For reasons not entirely focused on the wound and the pain.

Squeezing his eyes shut, he really didn’t want to think on the fact that Claire was pregnant with his child.

Except shying away from Claire, only brought him closer to the other gargantuan problem he had.

They were named Adele and Diane. They were also both aware of the full extent of what Dungeon and the dungeon, was for him.

They hadn’t spoken to him since yesterday when he gave them the whole run down.

Part of that was they fell asleep afterward though, right? Then I was working, then I fell asleep.

They’re not avoiding me… right?

I guess we’ll find out today.

Opening his eyes, Ryker saw that he was going to have to deal with a different problem already though.

With the fall of Dungeon the city, and it’s rebuilding as Dungeon the dungeon-city, Ryker had been forced to accept some changes.

And a slew of problems.

The first was that the Dark Lord of the North wanted to speak with him. Ryker would have to do everything in his power to absolutely avoid ever having that meeting.

Second was that the Queendom of Dale was in a spot that it didn’t seem possible to survive in. Except Ryker had formally thrown in his lot with Lauren the rightful queen.

Third, Wynne had clearly been hiding some things from him. Rules for the dungeon that were clearly much more important than she’d made them out to be. They’d almost lost the core for it, and he needed to run her down and find out what that meant. On top of that, the trio of Fairies he trusted the most, hadn’t checked in with him for a while.

And the last new problem, was a big naked minotaur in his bed. She’d been tasked with being his personal guard. Somewhat of a surprise at the moment though was her joining him in his bed. Last he remembered, she was standing watch over him.

Lifting his head up, he looked around his private bedroom. No one else was here. Looking back to her, he laid his head back down.

She was as big as ever. Probably close to seven foot tall. Her chest was massive outside of her armor as well as in it. Her black horns pointed upward and away from her head. Very fine and short fur covered her entirely, as she was more a monster than humanoid. Even her face was much more creature like than most people would be comfortable with.

To Ryker though, she was cute. Like a puppy.

He’d just never tell her that again.

Not to mention her personality was growing on him.

And her boobs are bigger than Marybelle’s. Damn.

“I’m awake,” Meino said, her voice a soft rumble. “I grew tired, and you looked cold.”

Her eyelids slid open and he saw her pale eyes.

Then he realized he was actually rather warm. Otherwise the room felt cold. Going with it, he pushed up into Meino, and stuck his head under her chin.

In all of the insanity, and everyone running around in every direction, Meino had stood by him.

“You make an amazing body pillow, Meino. Hell of a heater too,” Ryker said, snuggling into her.

“That… tickles,” said the Minotaur, one big paw coming to rest on the back of his head. “I’m glad you seem more cheerful this morning. You were very sad yesterday.”

“Yeah. Long day. Lost a city, the mother of my unborn child tried to kill me, told two women I’m in love with I’ve been sleeping with Fairies the entire time, my queen Fairy has been lying to me this entire time, and I revealed that I am essentially the dungeon to the Dark Lord of the North, and probably both pantheons,” Ryker said in a rush.

“Mm. I’ll groom you now. It’s a bit before dawn. I’ll finish before the sun rises. Your Fairies have come to the door throughout the night, but none knocked or entered.

“Your enemy wife also stood outside your door for ten minutes,” Meino said. Then she shoved Ryker into the bed, and moved closer to him, one of her arms draped across his naked middle.

Grooming him seemed to be something she wanted to do constantly. Especially when he showed any distress.

In some strange way though, he’d started to grow to enjoy it.

“Thanks, Meino,” Ryker said, closing his eyes and laying a hand to the side of her big head.

***

When the sun officially rose, Ryker headed to what he considered his “throne room” to start the day.

He still felt a little funny at being given a bath from head to toe by Meino, but he did seem rather clean for it.

There’d only been a little bit of awkwardness for about ten minutes when she refused to skip an area.

Yanking his mind back from that weird encounter, he sat down on the chair Meino had brought for him from his old study. Sitting in front of it was his old work table.

Then he felt Meino practically materialize next to his chair.

A single finger pushed through his hair, as if moving a stray lock around.

“There,” said the Minotaur. “I smell your enemy wife, and your ally wife. They’re waiting in the other room.”

Ryker nodded at that. He was glad they wanted to talk to him, but also slightly nervous that they hadn’t told him they wanted to.

Then again, Arria the will-o-the-wisp Fairy wasn’t working out as a personal secretary. Wynne had already said she was replacing her.

Maybe this was a transition period?

Before he could call up his dungeon and set to work for the day, the doors from the common area’s opened. Adele and Diane walked in unannounced, the doors closing on their own behind them.

Adele was dressed in what looked like riding gear mixed with leather armor. It reminded him of when he’d seen her the first time.

Her dark black ringlets were a bit longer now, though they were arranged prettily. Her bright blue eyes were locked to him even as she approached.

Pretty, self-aware, and with an athletic grace that gave her some serious sexual appeal. Which clashed whenever Ryker caught her picking her nose.

Walking next to her was Diane, the daughter of the pretender queen. Who’d given Diane, Adele, and Claire to Ryker as toys practically so that he wouldn’t pitch a fit about Dungeon being taken over.

Diane was beautiful today, dressed in a sleek black dress that hung on her. Her dark brown hair that bordered on black was gathered behind her head in a braid. Dark brown eyes and a face that won the genetic lottery, she looked like what noble-women would strive to look like. On top of that, she was young, not even twenty yet, and had a full figure and an hour glass to boot.

Immediately standing up, Ryker walked over to stand before them.

They both looked upset and tired.

Hurt.

Knowing he was the cause, Ryker felt true remorse and regret.

Rather than apologize, argue, or say anything, he fell to his knees in front of them.

“I can’t say anything more than I haven’t already said yesterday,” he said honestly. He’d wrung himself out of everything to them. “I love you both. I love Lauren the queen. I’m pretty sure I love those four silly Fairies as well.

“I betrayed both of you in different ways. And I… don’t know what to do. I know I want to work through this, and somehow fix… all this. I just don’t know how, or if you’ll let me.”

Adele looked confused. Though also happy at the same time. Of the two of them, he’d done significantly less damage to her. He imagined she would be likely to forgive him, and rather quickly. So long as she didn’t take too much umbrage at the fact that he’d been dallying with his Fairies.

Diane on the other hand, looked angry, hurt, and confused. There was no warmth in her at all.

“Give me your soul card,” she said suddenly. 

Ryker blinked once at that, considering her demand.

His soul card was the quick and easy way to his deepest darkest secrets. It was the cheat sheet for everything that was about him.

Truth be told, he couldn’t even view his own card. If he willing gave it to her, she’d be able to read everything about him to any detail she wanted.

Looking to his wrist, he casually peeled his soul card out, and sent it to Diane.

“Of course,” he said simply.

There was a moment of shock on Diane’s face, followed by a twitch of a smile, and then she was reading his card. She held it in one hand, using the other to make more information appear as she went.

Thirty seconds in, and Adele sighed and came over to Ryker.

She got down on one knee in front of him, staring into his eyes.

“Do you love me?” Adele asked.

Ryker snorted at that and nodded his head.

“I do Adele. For all your nose-picking, ass-scratching, masturbating in public, farting, burping, cursing, and general lack of courtesies. I love you,” Ryker said with a smirk.

“I only did that in front of you at the inn because you were watching,” Adele said, her cheeks turning red.

“Really? That was before we were wed though. Were you trying to get my attention?” Ryker asked, curious.

“A little. Maybe I’m more adventurous than you thought,” she said with a grin, then it faded slowly. “The Fairies… were you sleeping with them before me?”

“Yes. I was. Before I even went to the capital,” Ryker admitted.

“Alright. A bit better that they were before me. And if you admitted you’d been sleeping with them, you’d have had to have admitted to a whole lot more about the dungeon,” Adele said.

“Yeah. It would have all come apart. You were already the most knowledgeable about it all there at the end,” Ryker said.

“More than Lauren?” she asked suddenly.

“Yeah. You knew more about it all in the end then Lauren,” Ryker said.

Adele nodded her head slowly.

Then she slapped him with all the seeming strength she could put into it. The smack of her hand on his face was loud like a whip-crack. Ryker felt like his head was ringing, and his entire body hurt with that hit.

“I’m sorry,” Adele said, both of her hands holding his face gently. “But you deserved that. Don’t ever lie to me again. We’re going to talk more about the Fairies. It’s just Tris, Marybelle, Charlotte, and Wynne, right?”

Ryker nodded his head.

“Good. I like all of them. I’m going to start talking to them about proper etiquette and how to be in a royal marriage though,” Adele said, stroking the cheek she struck with gentle fingertips. “Lie to me again and I’ll leave you. Sleep with anyone else at all and I’ll kill you. Do you understand?”

Ryker nodded his head. “Yes. I understand.”

“Good,” Adele said, then she sighed and gave him a smile and kissed him quickly. Then she looked up to Diane standing next to her. The woman was still engrossed in Ryker’s soul card.

Leaning in close to him, Adele hugged Ryker tightly.

“Be honest with her. Tell her everything, hold nothing back. She loves you far more deeply than you think,” whispered the royal cousin in his ear. “Now kiss and make up. I just had my monthly pass by and I’m kinda feeling needy.”

Getting up to her feet, Adele patted Diane on the shoulder and just left.

I… ok? Ok. Adele and I am… ok. We’re ok.

Feeling his heart unclench a bit, he looked up to Diane and waited. He dared not move, or say anything. He would give her all the time she needed, and then more.

The very idea of her possibly leaving him, caused him considerable duress.

Finally, after perhaps ten minutes, Diane looked up from his soul card, but she didn’t let it go.

“Everything you said yesterday was the truth,” she said.

“Yes.”

“The Fairies came first,” she said.

“Yes.”

Diane brushed her thumb back and forth across his card. While she held it, any answer he gave her, or thought, would reveal everything of himself to her at the same time.

“I want to ask you questions,” Diane said. “I want to ask them while holding your card. I’m hurting… Ryker. I love you.

“I love you, and I’m hurting, and I need to understand. I don’t know what’s going on anymore.

“Can I ask you questions and hold your card?”

“Of course, Diane,” Ryker said. “I said I want to make this work. I do. I-”

Ryker paused and looked away, then back up to Diane. “I love you. I truly do. I don’t know… how it hap-no, I do know how it happened. It was when a pretty new wife decided she wanted to learn how to farm with her husband. That was the moment it changed for me.”

Diane couldn’t seem to fight the smile that blossomed on her face. Then her eyes dipped down to the soul card in her hand, and her smile grew wider.

“Did you ever consider killing me?” Diane asked, her eyes going back to his.

“Of course. Just as you probably considered killing me. But that was before your mother married us,” he said.

“Did you intercept communications from my mother to me, and vice versa?” she asked.

“Often. I never removed any of your personal messages from her to you, but I did remove all the terrible things she said about me. It was mostly to find out information about where her troops were so I could help close out the war faster,” Ryker said.

Diane’s eyes were still glued to the card, and she nodded her head a bit.

“You killed Robyn? The paladin?” she asked.

“I was responsible for her death, but I didn’t kill her. I accidentally trapped her soul in a core, and then released her into the dungeon after a while,” Ryker admitted easily. “I couldn’t let her kill Lauren.”

“Do you… love Lauren?” Diane asked.

“I do. She’s treated me like a person from the very start. She always asked me permission to do things, and treated me like an equal. Never anything less. We… connected,” Ryker said.

There was a strange smirk on Diane’s face at that, her eyes reading his card.

“What are your plans going forward?” she asked.

“I’m going to… I don’t know, actually. I know I want to help Lauren. I want crush the church of light and the dark. I want to put the Queendom of Dale back on the right path,” Ryker said.

That was all the truth. He would do what he had to to preserve Lauren and her kingdom. If only for her.

“Beyond that… I want to kill a number of people who wronged me. Punish the adventurer’s guild. That’s… about it, really.

“Oh. Find Claire. I need to talk to her and figure things out of if possible.”

“What? She tried to kill you. Why?” Diane asked, looking up from his card.

“She’s pregnant,” Ryker said with a small shrug of his shoulders. “Call me an idiot but I can’t overlook that.”

Diane glanced down at his card, her mouth a frown. Then she shook her head almost sadly.

“I understand… in the same way that you couldn’t overlook Claire… I must ask you. Ryker, if I asked you to spare my mother, my family, my home. To grant them mercy, clemency, and let them have things they have no right to… would you let me do that?” Diane asked.

Ryker had to stop from immediately responding. He wanted to carefully consider what she said before answering. It wasn’t a simple question.

She was supposing her mother lost the war. Lost it, and terribly so. Would Ryker fight Lauren directly to help out Diane’s family?

He didn’t want to. Didn’t want to do a damn thing for them. If it was up to him, he’d rather see them swing by their necks on a short rope.

But for Diane…?

If it’s for you, Diane. I’d do anything I could to help you preserve your family.

Smiling up at her, he nodded his head slowly.

“For you, I would do all that you asked. If only to make sure you were happy,” Ryker said. “I don’t think for a minute they deserve anything other than a swift death for what’s happened, but for you, I would go against Lauren herself on their behalf.”

“Did you even consider for a moment letting me die to that asssasin?” Diane asked.

“No,” Ryker said immediately.

Diane’s eyes went to the card. Finally, she looked back up, and released it.

It fluttered in the air, then vanished.

Once it was gone, she slowly knelt down in front of Ryker, her knees pressed to the same stones his own were.

She gave him a small tight smile.

“I love you, Ryker. I’m not as sure as you are when it happened for me, but it did. My family is going to be torn apart by this, but I’m going to trust in you to help me save them.

“I don’t like that you were sleeping with the Fairies while married to myself and Adele but… they were first, so I can forgive it to a degree. I still am hurt by it though. You’ll need to work to make me feel better.”

Ryker nodded his head quickly to all of that.

“I’ll ask Adele if she doesn’t mind me being there when she talks to the Fairies. It’ll be good for us all to start a dialogue now,” Diane said, then she sighed. “I want to slap you. Slap you harder than Adele even, but I don’t think I can. Instead I’ll say this, you genuinely hurt my heart. You wounded me, husband. Terribly.”

Ryker grimaced at her words. Half wishing she’d slapped him instead.

“But as I love you, and I do want this to work, we’ll get through this. But… I have to know,” Diane said, then leaned in close to him. Pressing her forehead to his. She snuck in a quick kiss and then smiled at him. “Did you really let Meino… groom… your privates with her tongue?”

Ryker blushed a deep dark crimson. Apparently that had been on his soul card.

“Goodness. And you liked it too, or so the card said,” Diane said with a giggle. “Was it rough? I’ve never seen a minotaur tongue.”

Well. At least she’s forgiven me.

And she’s laughing.

That’s… good… right?