Chapter 9 Rewrite

This one is massively different from the original, given how it's Sam's first POV chapter and early Sam was... yeah. Please give me feedback on this one!

Here's the old ver so you can compare. 

It went from being one 2300 word chapter to two 2000 word chapters.

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I don’t know what those chatty wenches back at the palace were talking about- Boss’s cum is tasty as all hell. Figures. I knew I didn’t like those chicks for a reason. Sure, I can’t speak about any other dudes, but as far as this guy goes, his jizz is one of the most delicious things in the whole damn Realm.

My body is just about glowing, and it ain’t cause he ate me out like there’s no tomorrow, either. After I came all over his face, he left me alone up here to go downstairs. Shame we didn’t get to have some more fun, but he’s totally right...

We gotta stop while we’re ahead and actually start doing things. I may be a repressed Princess with a whole lotta sexual hangups to work through, but there’s work to be done. Not like the enemy is gonna wait for us to get our rocks off over and over again, right?

Ugh...

I finally force myself to get up off the bed and take in a breath of morning air. A calm, spring breeze is wafting out from the window Boss opened on his way out. He’s hoping it’ll air out the smell of all the sex we’ve been having, but I dunno... the scent is pretty damn thick. Still, the air feels really damn nice on my naked skin because of all the sweating I did last night.

I really think that all in all, I just feel better than I’ve ever felt in my whole life. Whether that’s because of finally being free from that stuffy palace life or because of Boss and all the sex, I can’t say...

Agh, Boss...

Goddesses above and below, I still can’t believe he actually said that what we have felt like love at first sight to him! Doesn’t he know how embarrassing that shit sounds? But... it’s not like I can think of a better way to put it, either... still, that doesn’t mean he’s right or anything!

Hmph, whatever... if Boss really feels like that, then it’s easier to wrap him around my finger and make him into the best Guild Master out there.

Anyway, It’s long past time to get my fat, lazy ass the hell up outta bed and get dressed. The creaky bed creaks as I sit up and crack my back. My armor is lying on a nearby desk filled with Boss’s crappy porno books, so I put it on and crack a smile, remembering how I stole this get-up and this sword from Father’s personal collection. No idea why anyone would actually wear this when going on adventures, but lots of chicks wear bikini armor. There’s gotta be a reason it always works out, right?

Besides, my father is supposedly a super-strong warrior. If he had this armor in his gigantic walk-in closet, it must be good. Kinda weird how it was mixed in with all sorts of lingerie, though.

...Damn it, now I’ve got myself thinking about my Dad for the first time in days. Wish I could stop from falling into that mental rabbit hole, but here we are.

The esteemed King Theostus Lundreame, Ruler of the Realm of Karnalle, Lord of the Seven Provinces, first of his name, blah, blah, blah. Gods, he’s such a crap dad. It’s embarrassing to admit, but this girl knows damn well where all her Daddy issues come from. I mean, hells, my uncle and even my butler are better father figures than that asshole.

That asshole’s always so busy fucking every cheap slut in the kingdom to ever spend time with his daughter. It ain’t the only reason I left, but it sure as hell didn’t help. Not to mention, he’s always been so loud and public about being such a damn perv... oh man, the shit I’ve seen while growing up in that maze of a castle. Father exposed me to so much crap that it hurts to even think about the damage he must’ve done to my impressionable young mind.

Eh, I’m doin’ ok for myself, I s’pose. I mean, it’s not like I’m dressed like a hooker and sharing a bed with a dude almost twice my age, right?

Whoops.

Guess my real dad should’ve paid less attention to his whores and more attention to me, huh? Jokes on him, it’s way too damn late for that! Besides, this whole thing isn’t THAT bad. It just LOOKS bad. I got reasons for doing what I’m doing- damn good ones, too. For now, I just need to stick close to Boss and make sure he trusts me... I can’t screw up what we have. Everything fits together way, way better than it has any right to.

I know I just met him, but... there’s just so much potential there. I can feel it whenever I look in those eyes of his. Boss could change everything if he’s just given the help he needs, and he might end up being the key to all my plans. I wish I knew why I felt so strongly about this. It’s so weird to me... I just know I have to be here with him.

Look at me go, now I’m all giddy thinking about him... c’mon, Sam. This isn’t like you! But I have to admit, picturing the look on his face when I bring home some gold from kill quests gets me going and ready for the day ahead. I pull on my boots, yank on my gloves, readjust the magic bandaid covering up the scar on my nose, and head on out of the bedroom.

We’re gonna get this place up and running again, for sure. Boss is right. First things first, we gotta get some more adventurers. I kinda got carried away with myself this morning. I totally do want him to have a big harem because that’s just what big, important men of Karnalle do, and he’ll be taken more seriously down the line if he has a bunch of chicks. Not to mention I wanna screw around with other girls, too!

Still, I kinda just limited our potential recruits by about half... eh, we’ll roll with it. Not like there aren’t tons of other badass adventurer bitches out there looking for work.

As I rush down the stairs, something hits me like a ton of bricks, and  I stop in my tracks right then and there on the rickety ass planks. “Zuzu...!” I blurt out loud, ashamed of myself for being so dumb.

“Bless you,” Boss chimes in from somewhere down below.

Oh, Gods, Zuzu... I didn’t even tell her I was leaving. I talked with her about maybe running away from home a few times, but she must be so upset that I took off without letting her know! Damn it, Sam, look at what you did. She’s your best friend- no, your sister, basically- and you ran away without even saying goodbye!

I told myself I’d send her a letter once I got situated somewhere, but... crap. I forgot because of all the sex Boss, and I have been having. Agh, I’m so embarrassed! I grab both of my twintails and yank ‘em out of frustration until my scalp hurts. That poor girl’s all alone in her dusty old tower right now, and I just abandoned her... meanwhile, I’m screwing around with my new man and talking about building him a harem, and...

Wait, hold on a sec.

Didn’t Father try and talk Zuzu into getting a job a couple of years ago? Yeah, he totally made her go get registered as an adventurer! Course, she came right back home after getting her license, but at least she left the castle for a bit.

I WAS talking about building Boss a harem, wasn’t I? Goddess knows Zuzu is single, and she’s cute as hell, too! Sure, she’s kinda weird, but what Mage isn’t? Sam, you devilish bitch, you’ve done it again!

But then again... she might not want to. She has that thing going on with her magic after all... and it might be kinda risky to send her a letter since Zuzu doesn’t exactly get much mail, but eh. I doubt anyone would expect me to send a letter to anyone, even if it’s Zuzu. Words aren’t exactly this Princess’s specialty.

Alright, I’ll do it! Even if she says no, at least she knows I’m safe and sound! And if she says yes, then... wait, holy crap, then I’d actually end up having sex with Zuzu assuming she’s interested in Boss. Whoa... that’s... I mean, yeah, growing up, I schlicked to her often enough, and I spent the night in her tower hundreds of times, but the thought is just super crazy lewd to think about. Both of us, harem sisters to the same man... we’d actually be real sisters if that actually happened.

Hot damn.

Reality snaps back into place as I hear Boss’s voice. “Sam, you simply must take better care of yourself. This is unbecoming... downright embarrassing, even,” He says, standing beside me on the stairs and wiping off a trail of drool from my chin. “Surely you’re not so horny that you can’t even take ten steps from bed without falling victim to idle fantasies.”

“Wha? Ah! F-Fuck off, Boss!” My cheeks burn hot as I snap out of whatever lewd trance I’m in, and I give him a punch on his shoulder a little rougher than I meant to. Behind his glasses, he winces, but he shrugs it off for my sake. Damn it, why does he do so much cute crap like that?

“Even if I was having lewd daydreams, whose fault is that?”

“Yours.”

“Nuh-uh! Sure I’ve always been a pretty lewd girl, but...”

“But?”

“I dunno, you tell me! Being around you makes me feel like I wanna be the lewdest version of myself possible!”

“All I’m hearing is that you’re a dirty girl and that your inner floodgates have been opened.”

“Gods, I am gonna hit you SO damn hard...!”

As my cheeks grow even hotter from this back and forth, Boss suddenly cracks a smile and starts laughing.

What... what a dumbass, right? It’s not like he looks cute as hell like that or anything. Heh, I know what’ll shut him up. I grab him by his collar and pull Boss in for a kiss. He’s taken off guard at first, but then he starts kissing back... hard. I feel a slight tingle coming on, so I pull away before we get sidetracked.

“That’ll teach you to laugh at me!” I stomp my foot at him, only for it to create a hole in the rickety-ass stairs.

He stares at the property damage with disappointment but shrugs his shoulders. “Lesson learned.” He says sarcastically. Damn it, it backfired...

“Whatever,” I fold my arms and look away. This fight ain’t working out, so I’m gonna just move on. “Get me a pen and some paper, Boss. I gotta make a booty call.”

-Chapter Break-

"So get this, I just remembered a friend of mine back home. She's a super-strong Mage, and I'm pretty damn sure she has an adventurer license! If I give her the message, I bet she'll come on over and..."

"And what, exactly? Are you inviting a friend of yours into our bed so soon?" Boss gives me a dry look, and I can tell he's skeptical about the idea. Even after he's made up his mind to pick up more chicks, it seems like he can't get over that part of his brain that focuses on stuffy logic and crap like that.

"Uh, we're gonna see where that leads. It's a possibility... Zuzu is kinda weird, so I got no idea how she'd react to potentially joining a harem..." Knowing her, though, she might be all for it. She's undoubtedly lonely enough... but even if she isn't, there's still a huge chance she'll at least hang around and go on adventures with me! That'll help Boss just as much, and it'll double the income we start pulling in!

After a bit of thinking, Boss nods his head, goes into his office, and returns in seconds flat. “You sure this won’t be a bad idea? Sending a letter back home, I mean.” He asks while setting out some paper and an ink pen out on a nearby dining table.

“No, why would it?” I ask the crafty bastard while averting my eyes and sitting my butt down at the table.

He raises an eyebrow before sighing. “No reason," He drops the topic for now, but I can see the judgment in his eyes... "Anyway, just write whatever you need to this Zuzu of yours, and I’ll take care of the postage and address. If I handle that, it’s more likely no one will check the contents.”

“Hey, yeah! Good idea, Boss." There's just one thing I'm kinda confused about... I guess I'll go ahead and ask him. "What the heck is ‘postage’, though?”

Boss looks at me quietly, making a face like he thinks I'm kinda stupid, then says. “It’s a little stamp you put on letters. It sort of pays for the Mailmage to send your letter to its destination? Sound familiar?”

“Wait, what? I thought people just take your letter and magic it away. Who the heck said anything about paying anyone!”

"Have you ever written a letter in your entire life, Sam?"

"I... have not."

Boss sighs long and hard. "Just write the letter and don't worry about it. I'll take care of everything else. Meanwhile, I'll be right back. I'm going to make us a light breakfast and then gather up some gold for us to go on a quick shopping trip."

"Kay..." I get the feeling he's looking down on me, but whatever... as a sheltered Princess, there's a whole lotta crap I haven't ever done. So what? I'll learn how the real world works, eventually. Just you watch, Boss!

My letter doesn't take that long to write since I'm a pretty straightforward gal and all that. I just pour my heart out to Zuzu on the page, and after a certain point, it starts getting pretty rambly but whatever. I tell her I miss her really bad, and I apologize my ass off for not telling her I left in the first place. I even give her a brief rundown of the stuff that lead to me heading to Dewhurst. More importantly, I tell her where I am now and how much I think it'd be good for her if she left that lonely old tower of hers to come join me. I know that coming to Dewhurst... no, coming to the Dewhurst Adventurer's Guild will change her life just like it changed mine.

I can't even say why I know it. I just do. It could be wishful thinking, but everything inside me tells me it's not. It's like I know on an instinctual level that I gotta write this letter.

Looking back at the damn thing, I blush over how damn much I talked on and on about Boss...

Sure, he's fantastic, and great, and hits like every single one of my requirements for the perfect man, but... c'mon, Sam! This is just embarrassing!

It's basically a big old letter telling my best friend all about how I've been getting railed for the last four days while not so subtly hinting that she should come and get some for herself! I'm halfway tempted to rip the stupid thing up and start all over again. There's no time for that, though. Boss drops by with a breakfast sandwich and plops the plate down next to me. He’s got a small bag of gold strapped to his belt now, too.

"Sweet Goddesses, that handwriting is atrocious..." He says as he looks down at what I wrote. Blushing, I cover it up before he can read any of it with those damn eyes of his.

"Shut up! My handwriting is normal! You... you didn't just read it right now, did you?!"

"I sure as hell tried, but I couldn't even make out the first sentence. 'Tew Zuklinez Sicklodok'...? Is that some sort of magic spell that I'm unaware of?"

"Y-You're exaggerating! It says right there, plain as day, 'To Zutiria Syndaline', you dummy!"

"If you say so," He smirks, taking the letter off the table while I go to town on the sandwich- after sticking my tongue out at him, of course.

He wraps it up in the envelope, seals it closed with some wax, and then turns it over to put a little square sticker thingy on the corner. Then, he takes the pen I was using and asks, "What's the address?"

There he goes again with his weird mail words I don't understand. "What's the what now?"

"Where does this Zutiria live?"

Oh, shit. I have to tell him. "...Imperalis."

"Where in Imperalis?"

"The... uh... the biggest building in the city. Yeah, let's go with that!"

"So... your best friend lives in Castle Lundreame?"

"Crazy, right?" I roll my eyes and look away, hoping he'll drop it and not ask me any more about why.

Thank the Gods, Boss doesn't bat an eye. Instead, he just writes it down, and as I watch him go, I can see that his handwriting is all neat and fancy lookin', with that cursive crap or whatever it's called.

Growing up, I was definitely a tomboy. I really wanted to get trained in the sword, but my family would never let me... but that doesn't mean I ever got used to the crap they wanted me to be good at instead. Penmanship? Calligraphy? Bo-ring. The tutors they hired for me tried their darndest to make all that junk stick, but rather, I skipped classes and spent most of my time exploring the dungeon-like upper levels of Castle Lundreame. Guess that was where my fascination with adventure all started, come to think of it...

Boss pats me on the head as he leaves to go drop the letter into his mailbox, or however that works, but he comes back pretty fast. He's got a stack of papers in his hand, but there's something wrong by the looks of it. He looks upset and definitely a little annoyed. I set down my sandwich and walk over to him. I had about half of it and was feeling full anyway. It was good, sure, but I've been feeling less hungry these last couple of days. Kinda weird since I usually eat like a peasant during a famine, but eh. Lot more bizarre stuff than that going on lately.

"You good, Boss?" Seeing him upset makes me feel not that great, so I do my best to cheer him up. I put my hand on his back and rub it through his shirt... damn, his back is broad. For a shut-in loser, he's got some actual mass to him. He must work out or something, yeah... I-

"We have a small problem. I packaged the quest and the proof of kills together, but none of it got shipped."

"A-Ah, yeah." Damn it, stop getting horny, you slut! Focus! "So you mean..."

"We didn't get paid yet, and I don't know why. We're going to have to stop by the mayor's office while we're out, or else we can forget about picking up some lube."

I gasp playfully, trying to ease his mood. "Those bastards! How dare they come between us and our sexual exploration!"

"Indeed, Princess." He smiles at me, kinda pervy-like but also kinda romantic.

"Where?" I look around, causing him to sigh and stroke his forehead. He isn't amused, so I change the topic. "So what're those, then?"

Boss holds up a small stack of papers and flips through 'em casually, as if he's done it a million times. "Standard quests from the Association. Stuff like killing x amount of slimes, and what have you. None of them are that interesting since my Guild doesn't have any high-ranking adventurers registered to it, so it's all pretty generic regional kill quests and fetch quests to gather ingredients for potions that the Guild sells back to adventurers."

Wait, wait, wait. Hold the heck up. They make adventurers grab the crap to make it and then sell it back to them? "Uh. Look, I know I ain't the brightest, but that last bit seems kinda..."

"Cyclical and abusive? Yes. Yes, it does." Behind his glasses, his eyes get real damn angry. "Make your rookies load up on supplies, then sell the finished product back to them at three times the price that you paid them for it. A product that puts adventurers in danger if you don't have any mind you... sure, they sell subscriptions to give adventurers monthly allowances of potions, but those are scams too."

"...Geez. You don't gotta do stuff like that, do you?" It sure would suck if he has to do all that seedy business crap... I don't think I'd like it if he did, either.

"No," He sighs. "My Guild is a bit different. As long as I pay the right percent after quests, I'm more or less allowed to run the business as I see fit.  The Association has never bothered me in all my years, though, so I doubt they care."

"That's pretty cool. I woulda been mad as all hells at you if you tried to sell me a subscription for health potions, y'know. After all we've been through, I mean, a couple of potions to keep me from dying on the job is the least you could do!" We both smile at each other, and I can tell he appreciates the humor. Seems like Association policy is a sour topic for him to think about. "You go on and sort those out then, Boss. I'll wait for ya outside. Gotta fit in some stretches!" Even though it's a bit embarrassing, I lean in and give him a kiss on the cheek before running off and grabbing my sword.

Weird, this thing feels lighter... I guess that bit of training Boss put me through the other day is already showing some result!

After heading out in front of the Guild, I do some stretches like I said I would. It feels great to work myself out in the open air and away from the dusty crap-shack. Now that my body is nice and limber, I whip out the big ol' blade from its holster on my back. Oh yeah, this thing is definitely a good deal lighter. It's not just me. I've always been really damn strong, runs in the family, but... this doesn't feel normal to me at all. The other day it took some effort on my part to swing the sword around, but now? Now slicing and dicing around in the air feels almost as smooth as a knife going through butter... I think. I've never actually had to butter my own food before, but I think the metaphor still stands. Did I use that word right? Metaphor... eh, probably.

After a couple of minutes of working on my footwork, grip, and posture like Boss taught me, I'm starting to feel more confident about the day ahead. Then, he comes out to meet me, carrying the last bite of his own sandwich. He downs the rest of it and then wipes up the mess on his chin with a little napkin he keeps in his pocket. "Looking good," He crosses his arms while staring me up and down.

"Damn right!" I give him a playful wink and spank my butt before he laughs and shakes his head.

"I meant your form. You remembered everything I showed you the other day. Good job."

"Oh, uh... yeah. Well, duh, I did. You’re a pretty good teacher and all that, after all!"

Boss only smiles before stepping forward and offering me his hand. "Ready to go out on our little shopping date?"

...Date? Like, as in a DATE date? I look at his hand, realizing he wants to hold it like we're a... like we're a couple or something. Gah, why does he keep doing this to me! He's so embarrassing! This is it, Sam. He’s getting too cheeky. I gotta show him his place, I have to... um...

"Y-Yeah, sure..." I smile like an idiot, grabbing his hand and squeezing it between my fingers.

"Your hand sure is sweaty..." He says, clamping back down on me nonetheless.

"Shut up, I was training!"