With the banquet drawing to an end, the majority of attendees retired to the Inner Sanctum to sleep off the alcohol or just get some rest. Vahn saw off Alexander and the rest, including Siegfried and his not-so-recently obtained companion, Sol. The two had started living together only two weeks after the latter's summoning, something Vahn was more than a little grateful for. Now, Siegfried actually kept the company of two women; Sol and the Homunculi Governess tasked with Alex's education, a rather buxom woman named Yvette.
Unfortunately, Sol's example hadn't been followed by others so Vahn still needed to worry about the happiness of his male retainers. It would alleviate a lot of his concerns if people like Gawain, Galahad, Karna, Bedivere, and Lancelot managed to settle down. This would give them a greater purpose than simply fulfilling their duties and, while it wouldn't be the end of the world, Vahn was worried that his children might mature and end up with the rather handsome and capable Knights. He couldn't really complain about things like age differences as, in the grand scheme of things, the separation of a few decades meant nothing to people who would live for several thousand years; on the low end.
Still, Vahn would rather his children find people around their own age as it could complicate things quite a bit if his retainers became entangled with the inner workings of the Imperial Family. While he would most likely accept their love if it was sincere, a father couldn't help but want the best for their children; even if that may ultimately end up being something completely outside expectations…
For now, the bigger issues Vahn had to face were the addition of Nero to the Inner Sanctum, finding a suitable 'caretaker' for Altera, and making sure girls like Illya, Arcueid, and Aoko weren't feeling as if he was ignoring them. They had all recently experienced some pretty major events so he would need to constantly check on them over the next several weeks until they; growing guilty from his constant attention; forced him to focus on other things.
From a broad perspective, there was really no end to the things he needed to take care of as; even with all of those things; he still needed to practice forging, work on Scáthach's challenges, help train Gareth, spend time with his children, meet with Gawain to hear about the state of the Empire, check on Olga to make sure she was sleeping properly, etc. There was truly no end to the matters requiring his attention so it was good to have Ozymandias, Alexander, and Nero to begin carrying out his will in the outside world…
—
With Artoria telling him to leave Nero and Altera to her and the rest, Vahn decided to be prudent by checking on Arcueid, Illya, and Aoko. They were all at the Menagerie and, though it hadn't been long since he was celebrating alongside them during the banquet; it was a good opportunity to visit them all at once. Fenrir and the usual ensemble were also present so there was a fair chance he could just kick back and enjoy a hot bath with the massive group of girls for a solid hour or so.
What Vahn didn't account for was the fact that many of the girls had a little too much to drink during the earlier celebration. Even prior to entering the Menagerie, he could feel the atmosphere inside shift; indicative of the fact that his presence had already been noticed. He couldn't just turn around and walk away, however, so, without any discernible hesitation; Vahn entered inside the Menagerie to find nearly every pair of eyes within focused on him…
The Menagerie had never been known as a place where people with strong sensibilities gathered so, with Penelo whisked away by Ulla and Luvia, things quickly escalated. In hindsight, Vahn should have realized the greater meaning behind Aoko and Arcueid visiting the Menagerie around this time. The fact Luvia had been the one to invite Penelo over was yet another indicator that this series of events had been premeditated; likely as a means to keep him occupied while the matter of Nero and Altera was addressed.
Realizing he had been lured into a trap, Vahn began laughing uninhibitedly as he loosened the collar of his tunic with an amused glimmer in his eyes. There were ten girls present but he doubted Medea, Medusa, Jeanne, and Okita would be active participants. Though having them watch was strange in and of itself, dealing with Fenrir, Circe, Hati, Illya, Arcueid, and Aoko wasn't a difficult task. Rather, it was a good opportunity to strengthen the bonds between the girls while pushing his Divinity to the limits with three Tier 5's present…
—
With Vahn preoccupied inside the Menagerie and visiting the Hanging Gardens, Artoria and several other women had gathered together with Nero sitting before them; a smile on her face despite the fact her situation was almost like a prisoner being sentenced by an assembly of judges. This wasn't an exaggeration either as, after being allowed access to the Inner Sanctum; Nero's next assertion was that she be allowed to stay in Vahn's room.
Now, the girls had gathered to clearly explain the inner workings of the Inner Sanctum, detailing the rules that everyone followed; both written and unspoken. She couldn't just act with impunity within the Inner Sanctum as; even if she was given the status of Empress in the future, that held very little weight within these walls. This was a place where they all worked together to ensure their personal happiness, take care of the children, and make sure Vahn wasn't pushing himself too hard.
Nero was too accustomed to simply doing as she pleased, acting with impunity and ordering others around without batting an eye. This wouldn't be tolerated within the Inner Sanctum and, if she failed to adhere to the same rules as everyone else; they made it very clear her presence would not be tolerated. They used the examples of Semiramis and Lilith to prove their point, detailing the power and status both women wielded in order to make Nero understand the severity of their words…
Believing that an Emperor's words carried more weight than even written contracts, Nero had never intended to act in a way that would cause discourse within the Inner Sanctum. After her battle with Artoria, she had effectively promised that she would learn the etiquette of the Empire and adhere to it. Her request to stay in Vahn's room had been misinterpreted as, while she had no qualms about having sex with Vahn; the purpose of her stay was to observe Artoria.
Despite this thought dancing around in her head, Nero listened patiently as each woman took turns laying out things she needed to consider. Though their reaction seemed excessive, Nero didn't let it bother her as an Emperor needed to be magnanimous and considerate of their fellows. Their words were also very informative and, unlike the past, her head didn't feel like it was going to split open. It was a little boring but Nero felt like she could listen to these women drone one for hours, their soft and sonorous voices like music to her ears…
In the end, the explanation only took around forty minutes; the key points being that Nero would be shadowing Artoria and, as someone who intended to sleep with Vahn; she would not be disallowed the opportunity to sleep with others. This was something Nero didn't personally agree with but, as it was a unanimous decision by everyone else; she wasn't going to argue the merits and contradictions that could be easily pointed out.
Though she knew Vahn could manifest himself with multiple forms, Nero felt it wasn't 'fair' that the girls expect him to care for all their needs on his own. It wasn't uncommon for the wives of Senators to have servant boys as, on the opposite end of the spectrum, the Senators themselves often slept with female servants. After all, the situation didn't always allow for spouses to meet with each other and; at least during her time; it was considered detrimental for a person to stockpile stress and allow their frustrations to build up.
From what she could tell, Vahn's harem was rather sizeable with an approximated twenty females, all for a single man to care for. Even if he could split himself into multiple forms, it would still be a ratio of 10:1, indicating Vahn was either exceptionally skilled in the bedroom or relied on other means to keep his partners happy. He didn't seem to be the type of person to rely on drugs but she couldn't be certain without experiencing his prowess with her own body…
With this in mind, Nero followed up the rather one-sided discussion, asking, "If I am to follow your example, should I not be staying in the same room? There will come a time when I am required to tend to my Master's needs. Though I am confident in my skills, it will simplify matters if I am able to learn his preferences. Umu…"
Hearing Nero try to gain access to Vahn's bedchamber, yet again, Rin couldn't help but release a tired sigh before answering, "Vahn's preferences are easy enough to understand but, in the end, it doesn't particularly matter. He is the type to focus more on the pleasure of his partner so, when the time comes, you'll be the one on the receiving end. When that happens, you'll be lucky enough to keep your dignity as a woman intact…seriously, you are underestimating Vahn too much…"
After an affirmative nod in support of Rin's statement, it was Ishtar who followed up by adding, "You may have had the status of Emperor in life but we are far superior as a Goddess. Vahn is even able to lay us low, peeling back our defenses until we are stripped bare before him. With your legacy, it will be a wonder if you don't become addicted to his care. Your confidence means nothing before that man. None of your experiences can prepare you for what is to come so discard your arrogance, lest you get broken completely~"
Though it didn't show on her face, Nero was marginally annoyed by Ishtar's words. It was clear that she was being underestimated so, rather than acquiesce, Nero insisted, "I will have to determine for myself the veracity of your claims. Umu, you may be a Goddess but, during my time, even Venus, the Goddess of love, sex, and beauty, was not my equal. I will not look down on Master, umu, rather, if he is as skilled as you purport, I will rise to the task as his equal."
Ishtar was never fond of people talking back to her but, knowing what Nero was getting herself into, she just rolled her eyes and murmured, "Utterly ignorant…". Then, having lost interest in the ongoing conversation, she decided to go make sure her daughter wasn't up to no good. She had a penchant for mischief and, while Ishtar didn't particularly mind this; Isanna's existence as a Vanir was a matter of great importance to her…
Seeing Ishtar teleport away, Nero raised her chin slightly with a proud smile on her face. At the same time, however, everyone else looked at her with wry and knowing looks. With Nero's personality, the odds of her being put through the wringer by Vahn were exceptionally high. They couldn't allow her to be alone with him as, if she managed to goad him on; there was a good chance she would end up 'broken' after a single evening. Vahn didn't seem to be aware of it himself but, in the aftermath of an evening with him; some of the girls needed to 'detox' by distancing themselves from him and talking with others who had shared their experience just to convince themselves they were still alive…
(A/N: I had a little bit of time so I decided to write a 'bonus' Valentine's Day chapter. I didn't feel like writing anything too serious though so I hope this was mildly entertaining for you all.)
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