“She is Paula Leda. Twin offspring of Jacob Leda. Third offspring of Iulian Leda,” the gathered Nordar repeated.
“I am Paula Leda. Builder of machines and programmer of robots.”
“She is Paula Leda. Builder of machines and programmer of robots.”
The room filled with a tense energy that pressed on my head, shoulders, and back like I was deep underwater. Paula felt it too, and her eye opened wide with surprise.
“I am Paula Leda. I submit my body, mind, and soul to Adam Vaish. I will serve him as consort, advisor, eyes, arms, legs, and heart. We will be bonded both in life, and when we arrive in Valhalla.” The blonde woman hesitated for half a moment when she raised her hand up, but then she pushed my blade deep into her palm and pulled the knife across her skin. Blood instantly began to shower onto the front of her dress, and she quickly moved to cut the other one while the witnesses repeated her words.
I plucked the large blade from her bloody fingers, and then quickly drew its edge across my own hands before Kasta took it from me.
Then Paula and I reached for each other, and our hearts were joined as soon as our blood was.
“I accept your submission, Paula Leda,” I whispered, and then the pressure released from both our bodies.
“They are bound!” the skald called out, and everyone watching let out a satisfied sigh before clapping.
The blood was gone from our hands, Paula’s dress, and the floor of Persephone. It was like we had never cut ourselves, and I felt Paula’s hands tremble as I helped her to her feet.
Then I pulled her close to me, wrapped my big arms around her narrow waist, and kissed her until she stopped trembling.
When we finally parted, she leaned her head against my chest and let out a sigh of contentment. The audience was cheering, but they quieted down once she parted from me, and I turned to Kasta.
“I still don’t think this is going to work,” she said as she kneeled.
“Odin’s magic is powerful,” the skald said. “You have completed your rite, and he has accepted you as a Nordar.”
“Ehhh,” Kasta sighed. “It was an intense camping trip. I dunno if that means I’m blessed by a god now, but hey, worst that happens is I cut my skin open, and it takes a few days to heal. Best case is that I’m bound to Adam like Sis is. Here we go. Who will witness?”
“I will witness,” everyone in the room said.
“I am Kasta Leda. Twin offspring of Jacob Leda. Third offspring of Iulian Leda.”
“She is Kasta Leda. Twin offspring of Jacob Leda. Third offspring of Iulian Leda,” the gathered Nordar repeated.
“I am Kasta Leda. Artificial life and intelligence made to love those around me and avenge those who deserve it.”
“She is Kasta Leda. Artificial life and intelligence made to love those around her and avenge those who deserve it.”
Persephone’s hold filled with an energy that pressed on my head, shoulders, and back like a weighted heat blanket. Kasta’s eyes opened wide, and her mouth hung slack for a few moments before she continued.
“I-I-I am Kasta Leda,” she stuttered. “I submit my body, mind, and soul to Adam Vaish. I will serve him as consort, advisor, eyes, arms, legs, and heart. We will be bonded both in life, and when we arrive in Valhalla.” She didn’t hesitate to cut her hands like Paula had. Kasta felt the magic energy flowing between us, and even though we weren’t bonded, I could feel her excitement. Her blood was a bit darker red than a normal human’s would be, but it still dripped down with the same urgency when she cut her hand, and the witnesses repeated her words as she cut her other palm open.
I took the knife from her hand, quickly cut my own palms, sheathed the weapon, and then we both reached for each other.
And I knew Kasta was praying as much as I was for this to work.
As soon as our hands touched, the magic passed between both of us, and we gasped.
“I accept your submission, Kasta Leda,” I whispered, and then the pressure released from both our bodies.
“They are bound!” the skald called out, and everyone watching let out a satisfied sigh before clapping.
“I can’t believe it!” Kasta hissed as I helped her stand.
“Believe it, Queen,” the skald said. “Odin and Freyja have taken you as their children. They believe in the mission of our king and our people. Why would they not give you the power?”
“I… I… Didn’t think it would work,” the android said as she stared at her palms. They were healed now, and there wasn’t a trace of whatever liquid Paula had used in her android sister’s body.
“Sis, you are supposed to kiss Adam now,” Paula reminded her, and Kasta let out a gasp before she flung herself into my arms and pressed her lips against mine.
The gathered crowd cheered as we kissed, and when we parted, I saw that the android’s face was covered with tears.
“I’m, I’m, I’m so happy,” she gushed. “They said I was okay. They said I can be with you.”
“We didn’t need their permission,” I whispered to her before I kissed her again. “Even if Odin and Freyja hadn’t blessed this bond, I still love you, Kasta.”
“Awww,” she whispered as she stroked my face with her fingers. “I love you, Adam, and I can’t wait to sex you up tonight. Been a lot of build up for--”
“Ahhh, Sis,” Paula sighed as she covered her face.
“What? I’m his wife now, I can tell him how much I want his dick, and no one can do anything about it.” Kasta threw her head back, laughed like a villain in an old timey movie, and then she wrapped her arms around my neck tightly so that we could kiss again.
“May I present to you all Queen Paula Vaish and Queen Kasta Vaish!” the skald announced as soon as we were done kissing, and the twins turned to face the audience. Paula’s cheeks were burning red, and she blinked shyly as she leaned into me, but Kasta was bouncing excitedly next to me, and she waved to everyone before blowing them air kisses.
The sisters took their flowers back from Dragon, and then I walked them to the front of the left group of chairs where Madalena, Sivaha, Aasne, and Elana stood clapping. Paula and Kasta gave each of them happy hugs before taking their seats, and then I returned to stand next to the handsome man who was serving as my second.
“They are good women, Tiger,” he whispered to me. “You grow in power with them in your harem. I am proud of you.”
“Thanks,” I said to him, and he gave me a stoic nod. Then the skald raised his voice in song, and we all turned to watch Zea walk into the hold.
My breath caught in my throat when the slender blonde woman made her entrance. Her dress was also a mishmash of Japanese and western styling. The neckline was two pieces of grayish-blue satin that forced her small breasts up into a surprisingly ample cleavage. It was tight around her torso to accent her lithe form, but it billowed out in white waves of silk to disguise her long legs. The dress left her shoulders bare, but long white sleeves were tightly tied around her bicep in Japanese style embroidered knots. The sleeves came all the way to her wrists and then bellowed out like a traditional kimo, and I saw that the inside of the fabric was decorated with busy embroidery work of blue flowers and gray birds. The coloring scheme was a nod to the first dress she had worn when we went out on a date back on Queen’s Hat, and I had asked Hegeia to mention that to her when she was helping the blonde hacker get dressed.
Zea didn’t have any decoration in her short hair, but she had a thick diamond band wrapped tightly around her slender neck like a choker. She also had matching dangling diamond earrings which glittered in Persephone’s light. Zea was an amazingly beautiful woman, but seeing her wearing a dress again reminded me of the time we had first met on Trappist - 1e in the slum bazaar over a bowl of noodles and negotiated the payment for the job I had hired her to do.
Now, some six months later, we would be joined for life.