Disclaimer: IOOMOC

J.L.: One more chapter after this before the weekend break for me. So, enjoy.

Jill

For the longest time, Lord Spencer was quiet as I wheeled him around the garden. The dim lights of the torches lighting the path did little to reveal what expression the Duke's face held. When we reached the fountain in the center, Spencer began to talk.

"I am not angry with you, as you may presume. I was young once myself, and I can only imagine what has be going through your mind through this whole marriage business. You're a lot like your father; you cannot be tamed so easily. I understand your unwillingness to sell your company; it would be like me handing over my Duchy to someone else. I can also understand hiding a relationship from your mother and I." She started.

"It's not a relationship. We're just friends who…fell in love. He knows that I am not available." I quickly pointed out. The Duke laughed a little.

"A bit tragic for you, isn't it? To know that your best years would be wasted tending an elderly man." The Duke said.

"Would be?" I asked.

"I have a proposition for you that with benefit the both of us greatly." He offered.

"I'm listening." I said.

"This marriage…it's more of a business partnership. I need an heir and you want this town to prosper, do you not? It's not unusual for nobility, particularly royalty, to take mistresses since most royal marriages are business deals and not agreements of love or passion. I am well into my years; sexual intercourse is now a bit of trouble for me. If I do not produce an heir though, my Duchy goes extinct with my death and a lot of people will experience most dramatic changes in their way of life once the Duchy is absorbed into the neighboring Duchies. I would prefer that my life's work not fall into the hands of some spoiled diplomatic brat." Spencer spat out, his tone quickly diving into anger.

"Your nephew Irvine?" I questioned.

"Yes. Anyways…For your hand in marriage, in addition to adding this territory to my Duchy, I ask that any child you bear be named my heir. The first son will be granted my name." He propositioned.

"You mean?" I asked tentatively.

"I mean that you may pursue your friend as a Cavalier Servente." He confirmed. I held back my smile.

"So the any child I bear bit…?" I pressed on.

"You and I will probably never engage in sexual intercourse, my health is far too gone for that. The public need not know of that though. I need an heir and I am not concerned with the biological nature of the child so long as my hand is the most prominent in its education. The main reason I am permitting you to take this man as your lover is because of that." Lord Spencer spoke, turning his chair towards me.

"I just have one more question." I said.

"The company, your ships…yes….you may keep your company….nobility is not that taxing, at least not in the position you'll be carrying. However, the sailing must end. I cannot have you travelling on whims and possibly tainting the reputation of our marriage." He confirmed. I smiled brightly at him and gave the old man a hug.

"It's a better deal that what I was imagining," I commented, pulling away.

"So, we have a deal then?" He asked.

"Yes. I get to keep my company and take Chris as my lover. In return, any child I bear will be name your heir, the first son taking your name, and this territory gets added to your Duchy. Everyone comes out happy." I accepted. Spencer smiled, and then motioned to be taken back into the house.

Chris

A week had passed, and the time came to sign up for a ship to sailor on. I stood with Barry, figuring that whatever ship he signed up for I would as well.

"So, you heard about Jill accepting the Duke proposal? They'll be married by the end of fall." Barry mentioned as we walked through the harbor to where the contracts were posted.

"We'll be out to sea by then Barry, it will be far off my mind." I replied. Barry laughed as he read through the positions needed for each boating company.

"Well now, there's a surprise. Lady J doesn't need sailors, she needs workers." Barry said. I pushed him aside slightly to read the notice.

Lady J is looking for hard workers to rebuild her ship throughout the year to repair and prepare the ships for the next sailing year. The rebuilding will also include the commission and building of a new ship to join Lady J's fleet. Please register within the Lady J's offices.

"What do you think?" I asked him. Barry smiled at me.

"I know what's going through your head boy, if you take up that job, there's a chance you'll be dealing with Jill again." Barry eluded. I sighed out, wishing that things could have been a repeat of last year.

"I'll go where you go Barry." I replied.

"Then we're heading over to those offices." He said and started that way. I followed behind him.

"I thought you were a sailor for life though?" I asked.

"I am, but when a man gets this kind of opportunity, he doesn't run from it. My daughters are getting to the age of marriage, and I'd like to walk them down the aisle. Remaining loyal to Lady J's company is a bonus." Barry reasoned. I smiled a little, just as we entered the building where the offices to Jill's company were. Sure enough, Jill was attending to her desk.

"Mr. Burton, Mr. Redfield." She greeted.

"Congratulations on your engagement." Barry greeted, almost to rub it in. Jill smiled at him softly, and then her eyes moved to mine. She smiled again, with a little more tenderness.

"I'm sure this town will benefit much more than I. Anyways, I assume you two are here for the jobs?" She asked. Barry and I nodded.

"Polly and Moira are getting a little too old for Daddy to be off sailing the world. This is a perfect opportunity." Barry explained as Jill grabbed the necessary paperwork for the both of us to fill out.

"What prompted this…rebuilding thing?" I asked as Jill handed us pens to write with.

"Lord Spencer is allowing me to keep the company, provided that I retire from sailing. The three ships that I own are starting to show a little wear and tear from the various skirmishes and I still need to replace the Gamma Stream. Next year when the ships will be ready to sail they should be in the best condition. This also affords me some time to find a good replacement captain for the Delta." Jill replied as I filled out my forms.

"Wesker's not returning?" Barry asked.

"No. He accepted a contract with King's Navy and will be returning to them." Jill answered as I finished. She collected the forms from Barry and I, and perused over them to make sure they were filled out correctly.

"Shame." Barry admitted.

"Maybe. Anyways, report to the docks at sunrise on the 30th to start work, you'll receive monthly payments at the end of every month. Thank you, gentlemen." Jill said. Barry made his way to leave but I stayed. Jill placed the documents into her desk and looked up at me for a moment before standing up and walking to the door. She flipped the sign to 'closed' and then turned back to me.

"Something you've got to say?" I asked. She nodded, taking a seat on her desk, leaning back on her hands as her eyes were locked on mine.

"About my engagement." She started.

"I'd say that matter is final…" I started.

"The Duke cannot….consummate…the marriage." She said, and the tension in the room grew tenfold. I had been trying to avoid the thought of her beneath an old man, and though she was stating that this was not going to happen, that didn't mean the horror didn't repeat itself in my mind.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"He needs an heir, and is unable to create one. He has allotted me the right to take another man as my lover, permitting that any child born of the relationship be declared as his heir." Jill alluded to.

"You are asking me to be that man." I said.

"I suppose. Best case scenario is that you accept, we bear a child and Spencer passes on soon after." She spoke tentatively.

"Seems like a bit of a rush on things." I replied.

"It is. I feel like my world is starting to spiral out of control a little bit but this deal I made with Spencer is the best I can do to keep some form of control. I understand if you do not any part of this Chris, I barely find myself wanting part of it but some sacrifices have to be made for the better of the people. I'm not putting any form of obligation on your shoulders to do it. It's not fair to you, it won't be a real family for you." She responded.

"A family is not what is important to me." I tried.

"Bullshit. There's no need for lies. I'll give you some time to think on this, Christopher." She said, her tone indicating that she was finished talking with me. I turned around and walked towards the door, stopping for a moment to look at her. She was still sitting on her desk, her eyes locked on me, her face a dangerous mix of worry and restraint. I decided to drown it out with a good deal of ale tonight as I left the office.

J.L.: More tension, more plot and maybe a bit of a shag in the future! Alright nevermind on the shag, I almost never put details into it. That's what adultfanfiction is for after all...but you guys get the point.