Life as a Royal’s Breeding Partner

Chapter 238 – Nobles Can Wait

I didn't know how much mana it would take to regrow her skin, so there wasn't much I could do. Everyone was stable, and I told the other nobles, unfortunately for them, that I would get to them after I fixed up the Captain. I had little reason to keep my mana going, so I just waited for the news.

"Lady Alzi, the captain, is ready," Grace says.

"Thanks," I say, getting up from the bed. I thought of curling up, but I thought it might look too relaxed for everyone.

I'm not far from the Captain, just a few steps, and I get to see that they really did skin the poor woman alive. I start my mana and coat her body. Fresh pink flesh starts to cover her muscles or whatever layer is showing.

It doesn't take long for her skin to heal. Next, I have to pull her eyes out. The last part of her body, besides the missing limbs that are still destroyed.

I use a bit of my mana to pry them out of their sockets. My wood working skills working extra hard now. They come out with a sickening pop to let me know I can start building news for her. The empty pits take a long longer to fill than I thought, but eventually, the Captain can see again. Some eyelids will let her sleep.

"The others next, I guess," I say. "She's going to need too much mana right now."

"Yes, my Lady," Shyla says.

I guess a perk of having a maid around you is that you're never just talking to yourself. Someone is always listening, so you can't be called crazy.

Three nobles have lost a limb. All complaining about the wait to have their limbs reattached. Am I really going to have to watch women die just so the nobles get their limbs back faster? They are a bigger threat with their mana.

Fuck this all.

"Shut up, I'm working on it," I say. "Today was light stuff. I'll focus on nobles more when there is heavy fighting."

"You better," one grumbles.

"Glad you care so much about your underlings," I mutter, looking them over. Each has just lost a single limb, nothing serious. Which feels weird to say. In the village a lost limb would mean you can't work in most fields. Now, it is just a certain amount of my mana and time.

I don't give them any warning, picking one at random to heal. They give me a string of curses as I regrow their limbs. Maybe next time they won't complain so much.

"Are you done for the day, my Lady?" Shyla asks after the last noble stomps out of the tent.

"I can get an arm of the captain," I say. "Both if someone joins me in bed tonight. I think."

"If that is what is needed, my Lady," Shyla says.

"Good, I may need to start doing it in the middle of the day. Use enough mana before we start and see how much you gain," I say. I do have the other healers to help then if needed. How stupid are we going to look with three pregnant women waddling around here?

I guess I'll pop before they get that big, and maybe things will get worked out soon after I give birth? They seem to think that you can only decide to buy, trade, sell, or steal a kid before the child has been born. You have to have some standards, I suppose.

When I get back to her, the Captain is still asleep. This time, I make sure to give her the little leather strip. I doubt she'll stay asleep this time, and she didn't annoy me like the nobles.

I'm surprised to find I make it all the way to the elbow before her groans of pain signal her consciousness. Her eyes shoot open when I reach her hands.

Just a few minutes later, I had one arm done. I would love to do the other one, but I am getting low on mana.

"Sorry," I say. "I was hoping to get both arms, but I'm getting too low on mana."

Shyla takes the leather strip away, wiping it and putting it away in her ring. I need to decide what I should carry and if I should let others know about my rings.

"Thank you," the Captain says. "But I didn't deserve this. My entire platoon is dead. Every last one of them. You didn't need to save me."

"Well, I did," I say. "I'll see if I can repair the rest of your body later. I know a lot get sent back home before they get healed."

"Thanks," the Captain says, her eyes losing focus. I give her a soft smile she doesn't see and head towards the entrance. Shyla works to shuffle a coat over my shoulders.

"My Lady, it is cold out," Shyla says like I would forget about winter.

"Then work fast," I say, coming to a stop just short of the entrance. "Somehow, I feel hungry despite the shit mana food."

"A few seconds won't hurt your dinner, my Lady. But there is your coat. Now..."

With my coat on, I step out into the cold and remember I had a scarf before. The icy wind whips across my face and forces me to run for shelter.

"My Lady," Shyla says. "Can we get dressed correctly in the future? Please. I didn't have time for my own clothing."

"Yes. I think we should do that," I say, shivering inside the tent. On the bed is the mana bread. Easier to hand out than soup, I guess. Taste worse somehow. On the table, a smaller version of Hunting Grounds is set up.

"I was planning on having us play a game after dinner but your mana comes first," Shyla says. "Our marches from here on out shouldn't be as long so we should have time then to play. You can also join the men in their communal tent to play others."

"I'll think about it," I say, moving over to the food. I'm not sure how the game got priority over the food, but I'm more than happy to eat then fuck.

I'm really back at the brothel. Instead of giving out massages, I'm healing people. I guess that is a big difference. I'm not forced to wash nobles who are completely capable of doing it themselves. Instead, I get women who truly can't do the things they ask of me. I guess I choose my partners as well. Small things that add up, I suppose.

*** Elora ***

"Elora, you shouldn't join the fight," Geta says. "You're pregnant."

"I'm hardly pregnant," I say. "I'm us a month in and a third of the children compared to Alzi, and she is doing her part. I can join. This is an important battle. If we can control this moment, we'll have a chance to push them to the city. From there, we just cut them off and look to help my sister and Mother. I'm a Royal, and we have potions that can let us work until halfway through before the baby slows us down."

"Think Alzi will forgive you if you lose the child?" Geta says, leaning over my desk.

"Yes. I'm sure she hates that I have a kid of her's in my womb. That is one of the least things I'm worried about. I have a lot more to worry about getting her to forgive," I say. "I doubt I can even miscarry her child anyway. She'll be happy if I die."

"She won't be happy."

"Geta, she won't shed a tear if I'm gone," I say. "I have a lot of work to do to have her cry at my death. I think she tolerates me after the kidnapping, but I doubt I have much more than that. Now, what are the causalities for today?"

Geta shakes her head at my thoughts but gives up on the conversation. "About equal," Geta says. "fifty or so on each side. If we can stall for a few days, Alzi may get us an extra ten or so women. They likely had more die and won't risk healing the ones that lost a limb. Some nobles are complaining about Alzi's speed. She apparently got a few commoners before finishing them. That will be a problem."

"Yes, that is something we need to worry about. Alzi won't focus on the nobles like Oriphusa would," I groan. "Has Oriphusa left already?"

"What do you think? Alzi didn't listen to a damn thing she said," Geta says, finally relaxing into a chair.

"That's fine. Alzi has more healing than Oriphusa can put out."

"If she doesn't focus on the nobles."

"I know. I'll have Inanos talk to her tomorrow morning. But we need to be careful. Alzi didn't think the price to get us here was large, so she had more favor in the heavens than just her patron Goddess. Less focus on the nobles may be a new decree they are handing out."

"Mana wins wars. If the nobles are too scared to join the fight because they won't get healed."

"Alzi will know to heal them. I promise. She knows that her kids are what we are fighting for."

"Fine. You should still stay behind."

"When I start to show, I will," I sigh. "Until then, I will risk my life for my wife. Besides, I'm the commander. I won't be on the field much anyway. I'm more than prepared to simply push back any noble that steps out of line. I'll be careful and step down when I can't handle it."

"Are you sure you know your limits? What about traps?"

"Azula De Vil has been spotted around my sister. We'll be fine for a few weeks, and I'm not in the front line unless a noble comes at us when one of my wives isn't able to combat her."

"The second you show signs of slowing down."

"I'll listen then. I have plenty of time till that happens."

"Not even your mother was this stubborn."

"She was when she was fighting for the crown. After that she had twice the wives I have to make up for her pregnancy and a promise of a fighter that she never used."

"She's using you now."

"I'm using me now. Alzi would be with the kitsune if I didn't snag her, and none of this would be happening."

"Just don't get yourself killed."

"Isn't that everyone's goal in war?"

"Most."