Nimble fingers lovingly knead at the barbarian’s tense shoulder. “My dearest love, are ya more comfortable now?” The tomboyish Elf softly asks, continuing her slow and tender massage.

  “Ugh, enough stalling!” Thea impatiently rolls her eyes, arms crossed atop her chest as she sits back in the steamy water all the way on the other side of this hot spring pond. “Can we just get on with it already!?”

  “Ach, be patient!” Beryl lightly chides the bratty girl. “Ya gave our dearest love quite the fright wit’ yer blunt words. Least ya could do is give ‘er the chance ta get comfortable.”

  “I don’t think that’s going to happen any time soon.” Krvavy dryly states, idly scratching her puppy behind the ears as she tries to suppress the feeling of nervous dread that is filling her body. Which is not an easy task. The impending conversation has her quite on edge, to put it bluntly.

  “Mmm. Then I suppose we should get to it, yes?” Inanna pinly states, her stout legs dangling down into the hot and gently glowing water as she sits at the edge of the pool, vaguely between barbarian and brat.

  “Finally...” The silver-blonde brat exasperatedly sighs, before clearing her throat and straightening up. “You! Lousy lizard! What are we to you!?” She dramatically asks, pointing over at the Drakling. Droplets of water drip from her outstretched and accusatory finger.

  “My girls.” Krvavy answers without any hesitation.

  “And just what does that mean?!” Thea prods, almost shouting those words.

  “You are all mine.” The Drakling replies with a shrug, not entirely sure how to answer. “I’m... a bit possessive, you know that. I don’t want to say that you are all my property, that I own you all. But... Well...” She lightly shakes her head. “You are all so much more than just something I ‘own’.”

  “What about this new ra– ahem. What about Adeline? Is she one of ‘your girls’ now as well?! You all but own her, after all!”

  “No.” Krvavy easily replies.

  “Then what does being ‘your girl’ mean?!” Utter exasperation fills the noble girl’s shouted voice, her hands raising up into the air in a rather frustrated dispy. “You were using that term long before you started to love any of us! Khalia was hardly even a person at that point!”

  “Look, I don’t know.” Krvavy tiredly sighs back, slumping forwards and idly pressing her palms over her eyes. “I probably just started using it possessively and then it gradually became more romantic over time. Happy?”

  “No!”

  “Mmm. So, Krvavy, would you say that referring to us as ‘your girls’ is a collective term of endearment?” The Dwarf calmly questions, asserting herself so that Thea doesn’t get the chance to continue that frustrated rant.

  The barbarian lifts her gaze and gnces over towards that shortstack. “At this point?” She tilts her head and... nods. “Yeah.”

  “Then we are, in effect, members of your... [harem]?” Inanna pauses, patiently waiting for confirmation.

  “Harem...?” Krvavy idly mutters, brow slowly furrowing.

  “Harem. [Harem]. If those are the same words, then yes.” Inanna’s intense copper-orange eyes pierce into the Drakling’s emerald pair. “We are all your women, sexually and romantically. It also implies a measure of possessiveness and ownership, which I believe would be more than accurate with how unlikely you are to share us with anyone who isn’t already one of your girls.”

  Krvavy gently nibbles on her bottom lip as she listens to the Dwarf. She obviously knows what a harem is, but she also knows that the actual word isn’t exactly as positive as hentai may make it seem. While Krvavy can’t exactly help but think about her girls as her property, she doesn’t want to control their every move. That just feels... wrong. Kind of hypocritical considering that she pretty much kidnapped all of them, but how someone feels isn’t always straightforward.

  “Ugh! I am more than just a concubine!” Thea bitterly huffs back, crossing her arms quite petuntly as she gres at the Dwarf.

  “Yes?” Inanna tilts her head as she lets a measure of confusion enter her otherwise neutral voice. “The words we use to define this retionship don’t change the retionship itself. But it does help to answer your question of what being one of Krvavy’s ‘girls’ means.”

  “No it does not!” The warm water around this silver-blonde brat ripples as she stomps a foot beneath its surface. “You, lizard!” Her attention snaps back towards the Drakling, soft-blue eyes hardened and vulnerable. “Are we just kept to warm your bed?! Are we some tribal collection of wives?! Are we just trophies to you?!”

  “Ach, girl.” Beryl loudly clicks her tongue. “Do ya really need it spelled out fer ya? We are our dearest love’s girls. We are all clearly beyond just courtin’ wit’ ‘er. Ah’m not sure if we could be called ‘er wives just yet, but we essentially are wit’ ‘ow we currently live. So, if it makes ya feel better, just think o’ us all as betrothed ta ‘er. Our dearest love isn’t goin’ ta just toss us aside like a child wit’ a new toy, right?”

  “Of course not!” Krvavy immediately replies, twisting around and looking back over her shoulder at the Elf, grabbing onto the hands that she effectively just shook off. Her rge thumbs gnce across smooth, caramel skin. “I know our situation is... rather odd. But the four of you mean so much to me. I... I am incredibly lucky to love you all and be loved by you all, especially considering how I met each of you.”

  “And yet you brought another girl into our home.” Thea snidely comments.

  “That’s not why I brought her back and you know it.” Krvavy tiredly groans, mustering the entirety of her willpower to... let go of Beryl’s dexterous hands. Hands that return to massaging her shoulders mere moments after she turns to face her brat once more. “Adeline... She probably would have been fine if I had left her out there, but... She is just so small, weak, and defenceless. If something dangerous did came along... she would have died. So I couldn’t just leave her out there alone. I mean, unless she really wanted to stay...”

  “Yes, you could have.” The bratty girl grumbles back.

  “Mmm...” The Dwarf thoughtfully hums. “You didn’t care so much when Krvavy brought me home. So why get so upset over this Halfling?”

  “There is a huge difference between you and tha– and Adeline.” The silver-blonde brat indignantly states. “For one, I can quite obviously see why this pervert would be attracted to you.” Her eyes briefly linger on the Dwarf’s massive breasts. “But even beyond that, you are a Dwarf! One of the most noble of races! And you were useful in getting this lout of a lizard to build a proper vatory! Thus your arrival is not even comparable to that of this Halfling! A girl from a race of peasant farmers!”

  “Mmm.” Inanna simply hums as her copper-orange eyes stare intently at the brat, causing Thea to squirm in pce despite being all the way across the hot spring. “How about we y out the terms of this retionship of ours. Does that sound good with you?”

  A predictably bratty pout fills Thea’s face, her lips pressed into a thin line. “Yes...” She tersely sighs after a few long seconds, a fair bit of reluctance lingering in her voice.

  “Mmm. I propose that the first term is for us to all be clear and upfront with our feelings.” The Dwarf continues to stare at the bratty girl without a single emotion visible on her face. “Proper communication is key to any retionship. It is better to air our grievances and work through them together, rather than hide them and allow negative feelings to fester.”

  “That–!”

  “Ah don’t see a problem wit’ tha’.” Beryl says, innocently smiling at the increasingly nervous noble girl across the hot spring pool. “It’ll help ta keep this retionship o’ ours ‘appy and ‘ealthy in the long run.”

  “Indeed. Does everyone else agree on that being our first term?” The grey-skinned woman looks to Krvavy and Khalia, getting a nod from them both, before returning her gaze to the silver-blonde brat. “What about you, Thea? Do you agree as well?”

  “I... Yes...” She quietly answers.

  “Wonderful. Now, I believe that you have a grievance to air? One regarding the presence of a certain Halfling? One which you have not been completely honest about?”

  Thea flinches and begins to slowly sink further into the warm water, lowering down far enough that only her head is still sticking out, and just barely at that.

  “Ach, girl...” The Wood Elf clicks her tongue and shakes her head. “We ‘ave been livin’ together fer quite some time already. We all already know yer various... problems. Ya don’t need ta be embarrassed about yer real issue wit’ tha’ sweetie. Is it just jealo–”

  “I am not jealous of tha– of her!” Thea forcibly answers, spshing some water around as she abruptly sits upright. A reddish tint creeps onto her cheeks as her eyes slowly look down at the faintly glowing water, avoiding eye contact with any of the others. “I... I am afraid that if Krvavy keeps bringing girls home there will eventually be so many of us that she will not have any time for... for me...” She almost whispers out those words, sounding a little choked as her blush burns brighter.

  “And because of that fear you shed out at Adeline.” Inanna simply states, earning a weak gre from the vulnerable brat.

  “Thea...” Krvavy gently says her little princess’ name. “You don’t need to worry about that. I haven’t been going out looking for women to bring home, and I’m not going to just start doing that either. Besides, I do love you all. Don’t forget that. If it starts to look like I can’t spend enough time with all of you, then I won’t want to bring any more women into what we have. No point in having another girl to love if I don’t have any time to love the ones I already have.”

  “Hmph...” The silver-blonde brat tiredly huffs out, trying to act all haughty as her flushed face remains pointed away from the barbarian.

  “Come here, my beautiful little princess.”

  Thea gnces across the hot spring as the Drakling holds out an arm, the other slung around Khalia’s waist. The girl softly nibbles on her bottom lip, fidgeting slightly beneath the water, before sighing in defeat and making her way over.

  “Good girl~!” Krvavy warmly coos, pulling her princess tight against her side while ignoring the empty threat of that beautiful brat’s narrowed eyes.

  The noble girl grumbles quietly as Krvavy’s hand gently caresses her body, but her quiet compining is clearly just an act as she makes no move to stop the barbarian. Instead, she leans fully into Krvavy’s embrace, her face flushing even further.

  “My dearest love,” Beryl slowly speaks up as her hands continue to knead the barbarian’s shoulders and back, “Ah... may ‘ave an idea ta ‘elp squash yer brat’s fear.”

  Silence hangs in the steamy air as everyone expects the Elf to continue on her own. “Go ahead.” Krvavy replies after waiting half a minute for just that.

  “Personally, Ah think tha’ our dearest love deserves each and every woman she desires, but if ‘er gettin’ too many is a concern... Then we simply need ta put some restrictions on who can join our retionship. We’d simply need ta limit who can ‘ave the honour o’ becomin’ one o’ her girls.”

  “Are you proposing that we have a vote for each new girl that is to be one of us?” Inanna tilts her head slightly as she asks for crification.

  “If tha’ is alright wit’ our dearest love, then aye.” The Wood Elf replies, before leaning forwards and pnting a gentle kiss atop Krvavy’s head. “Ah o’ course would understand if tha’ was too much fer ya, my dearest love. Ah don–”

  “No, it’s fine.” The barbarian cuts off her worried Wood Elf. “That’s a good idea, really. It’s honestly a miracle that all of you get along well enough, but it’d be na?ve to assume that will continue to be the case if I keep collecting random women... And I don’t want to ruin everything by bringing in someone the rest of you would end up hating. So... yeah. A vote is fine with me.”

  “Mmm. If that is alright with everyone, then we should better define the vote itself.” Inanna calmly states, waiting a few moments for any objections or comments before continuing. “I propose that it should be done in two steps. The first would be to bring prospective members in on a probationary period, and the second would welcome them in as a full member of Krvavy’s harem. Does that sound good with all of you?”

  “Aye.” Beryl nods her head along with the others. “But ‘ow many o’ us would need ta vote ‘yes’? Just over ‘alf?”

  “Mmm... Perhaps two-thirds would be better for the first vote while the second must be unanimous?” The Dwarf suggests. “That would help to ensure that new members are on better terms with the rest of us, thus reducing the likelihood of conflict.”

  “Does this pervert get a vote?” Thea asks with an exaggerated sigh as the barbarian’s rge scaled hand gropes at her chest.

  “Why would she not?” Beryl looks down at the blushing brat. “It’d be a vote ta make a woman inta one o’ ‘er girls.”

  “But Krvavy would presumably always vote ‘yes’.” Inanna comments, her thick eyebrows knitting together just a bit. “This is a way to add women to her harem, and thus her wanting them to be ‘hers’ is a requirement.”

  “I don’t need a vote.” The barbarian states, idly squeezing the supple flesh of her brat’s breasts. “This should be something kept amongst you all, and I really shouldn’t have a say in it. It’d feel wrong if my single vote ended up being the one that pushes it over the, uh, two-thirds needed.”

  “Mmm.” Inanna simply nods her head. “If that is what you want. But it would make sense to give you the power to veto a vote, forcing it to fail. Though it is unlikely that you would ever need to use it.”

  “Okay.” Krvavy agrees with a shrug, before leaning back into her Elf’s massage. One of her hands cups and caresses Thea’s pert tits while her other lightly mauls Khalia’s rger breasts.

  “Are there any other rules tha’ we should make?” Beryl asks, her voice tinged with arousal as she watches the Drakling grope both the Were-Beast and brat.

  “Oh!” Krvavy abruptly calls out. “Yes, I have one. We should have a rule against me sleeping outside of our retionship.”

  “What?!” The Wood Elf sounds genuinely surprised, both by that suggestion and the fact that it came from Krvavy of all people. “Why would ya want ta limit yerself like tha’?”

  The barbarian turns around as best she can considering that she has two women pressed tightly against her sides, looking up at Beryl with an eyebrow raised. “What’s the point in sleeping around with random women when I already have all of you? And what’s the point in making rules about bringing new girls into our retionship if I could just step around all that and sleep with a non, uh, harem girl?”

  “The fact that you are the one suggesting such a rule implies that it won’t be necessary.” Inanna comments. “But if that is what you want then I see no reason in denying it. Does everyone agree on adding that rule?”

  “Ach, only if we can give ya exceptions!” Beryl almost demands, her voice sounding rather firm.

  The Dwarf simply looks around the hot spring for any objection. “Alright, we can give Krvavy permission to bypass that previous rule if need be. Now, does anyone have any more rules they would like to add?” She pauses and waits for a few moments, though no one speaks up. “I propose that any additional rules, or alterations to existing rules, must be unanimously agreed upon by all members of the harem, including Krvavy. Is that alright with everyone?”

  “Ugh!” Thea impatiently groans, burying her blushing face into the barbarian’s bare bosom. “Yes, it is fine! Can we get this over with already?!”

  “Mmm. I suppose that we are nearly done.” The Dwarf states, staring straight at the brat with her intense copper-orange eyes. “We still need to discuss the catalyst for all of this: Adeline.”

  “What about tha– her?” The silver-blonde noble girl meets Inanna’s gaze with narrowed eyes.

  “She is almost certainly here to stay. Unless you want Krvavy to spend a few more weeks out there travelling, just to return the girl to her home?” Inanna’s lips curl ever so slightly into a smile as Thea’s head turns away. “Mmm. I thought as much. So, what are we to do with Adeline?”

  “Ah could use some ‘elp wit’ my garden.” The Wood Elf states, bringing a hand up to thoughtfully tap a finger on her chin. “And Ah’m sure she’d be able ta ‘elp wit’ the cookin’. Maybe we’ll finally be eatin’ more than stews and roast meats~?”

  “That would certainly leave her with more to do than Thea.” Inanna wryly states, ignoring the silver-blonde brat’s immediate words of protest. “But I was more referring to her role in our retionship. Should we vote to let her become one of Krvavy’s girl’s, albeit on a probationary period?”

  “And just what would that mean?” Thea suspiciously asks, gncing at the Dwarf from the corner of her eyes as she presses her body up against the barbarian.

  “Are you asking what the probationary period would entail?” Inanna tilts her head slightly and pauses for a response, continuing only after she sees Thea nod. “We would likely need to define that, but I was thinking that it would be a way to check the suitability of a potential harem member. Those on probation would live with us and be exposed to Krvavy’s lust, but not be a direct participant in any of those lewd acts. If they can not handle Krvavy’s attention, affection, and arousal being focused on us rather than themselves, then they are not fit join our retionship. They must be able to get along with us and share Krvavy.”

  “Sounds like wha’ ya went through when our dearest love brought ya back.” Beryl points out.

  “Indeed.” The Dwarf nods. “And I would say that it worked quite well for me. Of course, I will admit that what worked for me may not work for others. But that process, so to speak, definitely helped to set my expectations. I saw that, despite Krvavy’s immense lust, her attraction towards the three of you was more than just physical. It also showed that Krvavy was capable of restraint, as her lustful gaze was often on me yet she never did anything, which has helped to develop my trust in her.”

  “Hmph!” Thea huffs and crosses her arms, shivering slightly from pleasure as she inadvertently squishes the barbarian’s hand against her pert tits. “I see no difference in her being ‘on probation’ than simply being allowed to stay. So, we might as well have that vote now...” She rolls her eyes and almost derisively says that word. “But I still say ‘no’ on letting her be one of us!”

  “Ah vote ‘yes’.” Beryl says with a smile as she idly runs her nimble fingers through Krvavy’s fiery red hair. “She is just adorable and will be quite useful around our ‘ome.”

  “Yes!” Khalia barks out as she presses her face into the crook of Krvavy’s neck, nibbling and licking at the barbarian’s skin. “Little meat cute!”

  “Mmm. Whether Adeline is fit to be one of us is yet to be seen, but it doesn’t hurt to give her the chance. So, I vote ‘yes’ as well.” The Dwarf states. “That is three for ‘yes’, one vote for ‘no’. The vote passes with more than two-thirds in agreement, so Adeline is now a probationary member.”

  “Not that that means anything...” Thea quietly grumbles.

  “Uh... Isn’t that a bit presumptuous?” Krvavy speaks up, feeling a little surprised at how quickly that vote passed. “I’m not going to force her into a retionship, so what if she doesn’t want to be in... my harem?”

  “Then the second vote will fail.” Inanna points out in her ever neutral tone.

  “Ach, like tha’ll happen.” The tomboyish Wood Elf almost scoffs. “She’s a blushin’, innocent, and sheltered girl. And ya, my dearest love, are a dashin’ and bold Dragon. She’ll fall fer ya, just give it time.”

  “What if I don’t want her to fall for me?” The barbarian dryly returns. “I have already said, multiple times, that I didn’t bring her back here to make her mine.”

  “My dearest love~!” Beryl can’t help but pyfully ugh at that. “Come on~! We know ya~!”

  Krvavy simply narrows her eyes and gnces back at the Elf, uncertain if she should feel insulted or not.

  “Should I go fetch Adeline?” Inanna abruptly asks. “She should be long done her shower by now.”

  “Please do.” Beryl answers before Krvavy can. “Ah’m sure she’ll be ‘appy ta ‘ear tha’ she’ll get ta stay. The poor girl must be worried tha’ we’ll just toss ‘er out and make ‘er fend fer ‘erself in the wilds...”

  Inanna nods her head and wordlessly rises to her feet, kicking a bit of the water from her legs before turning around and heading off towards the bathroom.

  It is in times like this that Krvavy kind of resents the sheer amount of hair her Dwarf has, as the voluminous coal-bck mass completely obscures the grey-skinned woman’s ass... Even with the rather low angle she has right now...

  “Now, ya’ll be much nicer ta the poor girl, yes?” Beryl firmly asks, her voice having lost all mirth as she leans forwards and looms over the silver-blonde brat.

  Thea simply rolls her eyes. “Yes.”

  “Good. Ya don’t need ta be ‘er best friend, but at least try ta make ‘er feel welcomed.”

  The bratty girl sharply exhales through her nose, clearly not happy with that simple demand.