Ch 17. Follow-ups

Gnost Treebeard’s knuckles were white as he grasped the balcony railing, looking straight ahead at the buildings in the distance as he forced himself to take long slow breaths.

“You’re doing great, Gnost,” said John, standing just a few feet behind him. “How are you feeling?”

“S-scared… but not as bad as last time.”

“Well you’re doing fantastic. Here,” John held out a hand. “You can come back in if you're ready.”

“N-no. I think I can last a little longer.”

John nodded. “That’s okay. I’m going to be right here with you.” He smiled, he was very proud of Gnost’s progress so far. The young dwarf had gone from barely being able to stand within twenty feet of a window to being able to stand on a balcony without turning and running away in terror.

The potions he’d had him get had helped, as had his idea for him to hold an umbrella when walking through open areas. The more important thing was that Gnost had been doing the work. It’s something that everyone in therapy needed to do, but very few of them actually did. Gnost was spending five to ten minutes outside every day, he was looking out windows when they were near where he was, and he was showing up to every appointment.

“O-okay. I think I’m done.”

John reached out and took his hands. He pulled him gently inside and was again impressed when the dwarf didn’t leap back inside, but instead just took deliberate steps. John closed the door and drew the curtain for him.

“I am very impressed with your progress,” said John as they both sat back down.

“Thank you,” said Gnost, smiling shyly behind his beard.

“How are things with your uncle? And the shop?’

“Much better. I’ve been able to work the counter and help out in the warehouse now that I can stomach the trip. I feel like I’m learning a lot and… and it’s nice that every look from him isn’t him seeming sorry for me anymore.”

“That’s really good. Do you like the work?”

“I do. I get to meet a lot of different kinds of people. Back home the most I would meet is other dwarves or the occasional kobold.” He chuckled. “The first time I saw an elf my mom had to smack the back of my head to keep me from staring.”

“I can definitely understand that. It’s a whole new world out here.” He checked his notes. “Have you needed Herb to adjust your potion at all?”

“No, but I did need to take a bit more this month. I tried going for a walk with my Aunt to the neighbors and I just couldn’t seem to stop my heart from beating out of my chest.”

“I really appreciate your hard work, but please don’t push yourself too hard, and definitely try not to take more of the potion than Herb tells you to. The dosages he gives are that way for a reason.”

Gnost nodded.

“Was there anything else you wanted to talk about? Or do you want to just sit with some tea for a bit?”

“I’m okay. I don’t want to keep Uncle waiting.”

“Alright then,” John stood and walked over to open the door. “I’ll see you next week okay?”

“Okay,” he said and walked out.

John closed the door gently, and started toward his desk when he heard talking.

“How’d you do?” asked Andressa.

“I managed a full twelve minutes.”

“Sounds like before too long I won’t need to make appointments for you anymore.”

“I don’t know about that.”

“At this rate you’ll be riding around on dragonback at the end of the month.”

Gnost laughed. “See you next week.”

“I’ve already got it on the schedule.”

John smiled as he listened to the exchange and went back to his desk to get his notes ready for the next client.

…

“I’ve really got to thank you. The advice you gave me to go darker and be more shocking is really working,” said Fabbanaccio behind a thick layer of mascara and wearing a black doublet with silver stitching. Even his lute now sported some fresh black paint to complete the look.

“Fabbanaccio, once again, that was not the advice I was trying to give to you. I wanted you to communicate openly and honestly with your closest friends. I’m glad your new artistic direction is giving you some satisfaction, but I’m concerned that you’re using this stylistic pivot to avoid dealing with real problems that you need to address.”

“I don’t think I know anyone so modest as you,” said Fabbanaccio strumming a few random strings on his lute. “Most people would rush to take credit for my most recent successes, but you really want me to think it was all me.”

“It was definitely all you.”

“See, you really know how to boost a guy’s ego.”

There was a knock on the door and Andressa peeked her head in, smiling as she grew a shade brighter from the lingering anxiety in the room.

“Sorry to interrupt, John. Your next appointment is meant to start very soon.”

“Oh, I’ll get out of your hair. I’ve got a performance I’ve gotta start getting brooding for. See you next week!” He practically leapt off the couch and bounded out the door blowing a kiss to Andressa who chuckled and shook her head.

John took a moment to straighten up his notes and the table before he walked out. Waiting for him were Zak, Carol, and Princess Grailia. Zak was wearing his usual plain brown adventuring clothes and looked much less exhausted then he had when he’d had his first appointment with John regarding the long train of women he’d accumulated while adventuring. Considering they’d trimmed the number from four down to two that wasn’t a surprise.

Carol was wearing a blue dress that complemented her red hair very nicely. She seemed to be sitting up a bit straighter as well. John had noticed her growing a bit more forceful about what she wanted in their recent sessions, and he thought that was a good change. The relationship wouldn’t work well if she was just being pushed around by the princess all the time.

Grailia was wearing a flowing purple gown and a golden circlet at the top of her perfectly straight black hair. Andressa had already handed her tea, and given her an extra couch cushion, as had become their custom.

“I’m ready for you,” said John, holding the door open for them.

“Good to see you John, how are you doing?” asked Zak as he walked in.

“I’m doing well, Zak.” He lied. He was feeling a bit irritated about Fabbanaccio, but there was no reason to get into that. They were meant to be talking about their problems, not his.

He went through his usual routine of getting everyone tea and asking about their days before he settled into his chair. He could feel the tension between Grailia and Carol as he took a sip of tea to clear his throat.

“I’m getting the feeling that we’re still no closer to resolving the problem than we were these last few weeks.”

“She refuses to see reason!” yelled Grailia, the words shooting from her mouth like an arrow from a tensed bowstring. “I will make Zak a prince, and I see no problem with her accepting a place as his royal concubine.”

“I am not going to be a whore with a nicer title,” said Carol, though her voice tittered a bit on the word ‘whore’ as if she was uncomfortable even saying it. “He can marry me and act as your ‘royal consort’. I know you think I’m lesser than you, but I’m just as deserving of being his bride as you are!”

Zak sank as deeply into the couch between them as he could.

John sighed. These two, unlike the others, weren’t going anywhere. They both genuinely loved Zak, and were even fine with sharing, they were just having trouble when things got hierarchical. Zak was helpless, despite being a man who’d slayed monsters for a living. John looked at the two beautiful women still arguing back and forth, wondering what it was like to simultaneously be the luckiest and unluckiest man alive.

“Ladies, please. Let’s take a moment to reel things back a bit.”

Grailia huffed and Carol took a long deep breath.

“I know I’ve mentioned it before, but a lot of people back on my world never got married, but that doesn’t mean that they didn’t share a lifelong bond of love and respect with one another. I know you’re both set on this, but are you sure you couldn’t consider something alternative. Maybe an informal ceremony for each of you? Something with just friends and family each that keeps you on even footing?”

“Informal,” said Grailia, practically spitting out the word like it was a slur. “I would rather have a formal execution than an informal wedding.”

“I’d rather have that for you too,” whispered Carol, just audibly enough for John to hear.

There was a knock on the door, “Excuse me for just a moment,” he walked to the door with an eyebrow raised and opened the door to find Andressa standing there.

“What is it? I really don’t like to be interrupted when I’m with clients.”

“Unless you don’t like them,” said Andressa with a smile.

“I like all of my clients.”

“Sure you do.”

He sighed, exasperated. “What is it?”

“I think I found a solution to their problem in there. I found this book back at the infinite library last week,” she held out a tome with the words, Lendarian Marriage Law in bright gold lettering.

John frowned. If it had brought this book to her, that meant that the library had sensed it was something she wanted. His frown tilted a bit into a small smile.

“What’s with the smile,” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Nothing. Just tell me what you found.”

She peeled open the book and showed him a paragraph that she’d magically highlighted. He read it quickly and smiled.

“That’s very good.”

“I thought so too,” said Andressa, as she pivoted to go back to her desk, the hem of her dress brushing gently against his legs as she twirled. “Good luck with it.”

“Thank you,” he said as he let the door close and walked back inside to Carol and Grailia back in the midst of an argument.

“I think I may have a solution to your problem,” he said as he sat back in his chair with the book in hand.

They looked at him expectantly.

“According to an interesting piece of law from Grailia’s kingdom of Lendaria, as a princess she can choose as many spouses as she wants, and can elevate all of their statuses to the same level.”

Grailia’s eyes widened. “You’re not suggesting-”

“I would not marry that woman!” said Carol.

“You would be lucky to have me as a wife. I would make you royalty!”

“You’re already a royal pain, having to endure spousal obligations to you as well is too much.”

“You should be grateful that even the idea of entering my bed is something being remotely considered!”

“I uh, like the idea,” said Zak.

They stared at him.

“Why do you like it, Zak?” asked John.

“Well, the problem with the other options is that they’re uneven, right? I mean this seems like it would solve the problem. We’d also be able to have just one big wedding. We could get all our friends to come, everyone from our adventure. Doesn’t that sound nice?” he asked neither of them in particular.

They looked at him and their expressions softened a bit.

“I suppose… I could consider it,” said Grailia.

“I can think about it as well.”

John nodded. “Take some time, talk it through some more, and think it over. This is just another option.”

They all nodded.

“Okay, let’s put a pin in that for now. Anything else you’d like to talk about? I know you were having some trouble with navigating conversations with your respective families about your situation.”

…

John sighed and started making himself a coffee. Normally he’d stick to tea, but it had been a long morning and he felt like he needed a bit of an extra pick-me-up. Once it was done he took his mug out to stand in the waiting room and stretch his legs a bit. Andressa was leaned back in her chair with her heels on the desk reading a romance he didn’t recognize. She’d started to trade them back and forth with Mia, so that was likely where she’d gotten it.

“You built in a little break for me between clients?” he asked.

She dogeared the page she was on, smiling a bit as she fed on the little jolt of anxiety that gave him.

“I know those three can be a lot, so I thought you’d appreciate a breather afterwards.”

He smiled. “I do, thank you.”

She shook her head. “The sexual tension was thick in there. There was enough to keep my sister fed for a month.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“She’s a more…traditional succubus. You’d probably like her… maybe a bit too much.”

“I don’t know about that,” said John, a bit offended.

“I do. You’re definitely all pent up behind your suits and helping people. Exactly her type.”

He went to respond, but noticed her brightening red coloration and stopped.

“You know you could take a break from feeding every once in a while.”

“You make it too easy.”

“I’m surprised that you sensed sexual tension there. I mean, they love Zak, but I barely noticed them paying him much attention in there.”

She laughed. “The tension was between the girls.”

John’s eyes widened. “Oooh.”

…

The final clients of the day were Princess Sabatha and Prince Rodrick. The last time he’d seen them, Sabatha had been kidnapped by some kind of lich and Rodrick was on his way to save her. Now, looking at them, they seemed to be okay. Sabatha seemed to be almost radiating a warm glow and Rodrick seemed content as well, with a wide smile on his face.

“I’m glad to see that you’re both okay. I presume the rescue went well?”

“It went very well,” said Sabatha, reaching out and grabbing Rodrick’s hand to give it a squeeze.

Rodrick nodded. “I slew the Lich and brought her back home safely.”

“Have you had a chance to talk more about your issues with this?” he asked Rodrick.

“No,” said Sabatha. “We’re just here to be polite since he made the last appointment. We’ve agreed that there’s nothing to work on and he was just being silly. Right?”

John looked at Rodrick with a raised eyebrow. Based on the last conversation he was absolutely sick of having to run after and save her every month from some new awful threat just to satisfy her clear fetish for such things.

“Is that true, Rodrick?”

His smile grew and there was a bit of a glint in his eye. “That’s certainly what I told her.”

There was a kind of rumble and John looked at his mugs on the counter that were starting to shake.

“What exactly do you mean by that Rodrick?”

The prince smiled wider. “I mean, you should probably take cover.”

The princess looked at him confused, as John leapt over to crouch behind his desk.

There was a massive blast of wind and the balcony window shattered as a massive collection of muscle and feathers landed inside, reaching out taloned hands and grasping Rodrick tightly in them.

As the wind settled John got a better look at what was happening. A harpy with rainbow wings covered in gold and silver jewelry had Rodrick clutched tightly to her bare chest. Rodrick was leaned back toward her in a dramatic swoon, though that same satisfied smile was still on his face.

“I Shayera, Queen of the Southern Winds, claim this princeling as my slave and consort. He shall live in the palace of warm breezes and serve me for all eternity. None shall free him from his bondage!”

With her speech completed, she leapt back out the window, flying at incredible speed back into the skyline above Avalon.

John stood up with a sigh, and patted the dust off of himself. He walked over to Sabatha, who was sitting on the ground with her mouth agape and her eyes wide.

“Are you okay?” he asked as he helped her up.

She stood carefully.

“I…I can’t believe he did that.”

John pursed his lips in a kind of awkward smile.

“Well… it’s not exactly a therapy rule so much as a life rule, but… turnabout’s fair play.”