Rego delivered one last series of punches, reducing the log to mere chips of wood.

Such strength… Rego thought as he removed a few splinters from his hands. And resilience as well. If I'd tried that as a human, I would have permanently crippled my hands.

Now it is time for a different kind of training…

Rego placed his hands on the remains of the log and closed his eyes. He tried to focus on the mana within him, to sense its flow so that he might manipulate it to his ends.

Remember what the Royal Sorceress said… "Visualise the target as it once was. Not just in external appearance, but in internal structure."

The structure of wood is a collection of many fibres. And at a small scale, if I remember my studies correctly, it is composed of numerous tiny "cells". I must visualise these things in order to cast the repair spell properly.

...Hold on, is it correct for me to still call her "Royal Sorceress"? It's possible that soon, a more appropriate title would be "Mo—"

Rego shook his head vigorously. He should not be getting ahead of himself. Nothing had been decided yet.

Then he looked down at the wood and realised he also should not be getting distracted. He'd activated his magic accidentally, fusing some of the wood chips into a bizarrely shaped sculpture.

Refusing to give up, Rego broke up the sculpture and resumed his magic practice. On the seventh attempt, he managed to fuse the wood chips into something resembling the original log. By this time, the small scratches on his hands had healed.

Once he was done, Rego looked up. The other Unsullied incubi were training as well: Berroq and Fieron were sparring with long poles of iron, producing thunderous clangs with every impact. Jassen was conjuring up small fireballs and throwing them at a stone slab serving as a target. Merrabor was repeatedly lifting a solid iron dumbbell that weighed several times as much as a full-grown man. Quhuru was magically holding up a fist-sized sphere of water, the intended goal being to keep even a single drop of it from falling for as long as possible.

Others watched from the sides of the room. The Royal Sorceress was naturally present, to keep watch over the training. The still-human Unsullied were present, to see how superhuman beings fought—and to learn how to combat them, if necessary.

Lady Elise was not present. It was a shame, Rego would have liked to show off his new capabilities…

Rego slapped himself.

A man who is so neglectful of his duties is a man who is unworthy of her… h-hand…

Rego resumed training. He shattered the log a second time then repaired it again, this time succeeding on the fifth attempt.

Then, at Wilmarina's instruction, all the Unsullied moved on to different activities. In Rego's case, he picked up the dumbbell and began lifting it repeatedly. He managed one hundred and seventy lifts before his muscles began protesting.

Eventually, Wilmarina clapped her hands. "That is enough for today," she said. "You may now rest."

Rego and the other Unsullied left the training room by walking up a long set of stairs.

Magic is truly impressive… it could excavate this large, underground space in just a matter of hours, so that we might train without drawing attention. And now, I am learning to use magic myself…

The Unsullied's first destination was, unsurprisingly, the bath. They stripped, entered tubs of cool water and let out sighs of relief.

In the past, all of the Unsullied were similar in their slim builds and lack of body hair. The differences in their appearances came mainly from their ethnicities.

Now that six of them had become incubi, they'd begun diverging, both from their still-human comrades and from each other. The incubi were gaining more muscle, though this wasn't actually the reason for their increased strength. Merrabor and Fieron were growing body hair, the former even beginning to grow a beard. In Rego's case—possibly others as well, but he'd only noticed it in himself so far—he was half a fingertip's width taller than he was just two days ago.

According to what the monsters have said, we are changing to fit our self-images, Rego thought. We are growing into the bodies that were once denied to us...

"Hero's training is intense indeed," Quhuru groaned. He picked up a bar of soap and began scrubbing himself. "It even manages to put the training we received to shame."

"I can see why the Royal Sorceress is so formidable in battle…" Merrabor said. "Even with my new body, and her missing two senses… I don't think I could defeat her…"

Rego was silent for a while as he washed himself. He was still thinking about the training himself.

I managed one hundred and seventy repetitions today… It was one hundred and fifty-three yesterday. I'm making good progress. Shouldn't be long before I can move on to the next size of dumbbells.

As for magic, I'm having more trouble with that. I'm decent enough at magic involving my own body, but when it comes to other kinds, I'm a step behind the others.

Rego's thoughts were interrupted by a comment from Fieron.

"So… it looks like us six have finished… regenerating now."

There were several splashes and shouts of surprise. More than one voice cried out "Fieron!"

"Fieron has a point," said Zerah, one of the still-human Unsullied. "For most of our lives, we were all mutilated, unable to feel as normal people feel." His eyes flicked downwards. "For you six, that is no longer the case."

Rego had no counterargument, for Fieron was indeed right. It was simply a topic they were trying not to discuss since it was so awkward, especially since they were cohabiting with some supernaturally beautiful women.

"We can't just keep ignoring this forever," Fieron continued. "We haven't just become stronger and capable of using magic, we've changed in other ways as well… For example, just yesterday I was passing by Lady Amelia, and I found myself becoming erect."

That elicited cries of outrage, including from Rego, who said, "Have you forgotten that she's not interested in men!?"

"I'm not an imbecile, I remember that perfectly well," Fieron said irritably. "I don't have any intention to actually approach her. The reason I shared this experience is because I strongly doubt I'm the only one who's had it."

Rego did his best not to look guilty. Since becoming an incubus, he'd found himself being nervous when interacting with Wilmarina, Amelia or Colette. And that was nothing compared to what he'd started feeling about Elise recently. He was never going to tell anyone about what he'd been doing last night…

"...You're right," Merrabor said, scratching his beard in thought. "I… nowadays I can't look at Lady Elise for too long, or I'll… make a fool of myself…"

The Naathi man was whispering so quietly by the end, Rego could hardly hear him even with his now-sharper hearing.

"That was… brave of you to admit it," Quhuru said. "I think it's safe to say we incubi are all having issues like that now."

"And that is why we have not asked to be made incubi as well," Zerah said. "Even though our mistresses would certainly agree, and even though it would improve security even further…"

"We don't want our mistresses to have to deal with twelve hormonal men, instead of six…" Potho finished.

Firion said. "So the question is, what do we do next?"

That was a question Rego had been asking himself during the two days since he'd been turned into an incubus. Even now, he had not been able to come up with any answers.

As an Unsullied, he'd been trained to have no desires of his own. Yet in monster society, following one's desires was actively encouraged. Desires of all kinds: for food, for wealth, for fame, for new horizons, for strength, for…

Rego shook his head to dispel that thought.

The twelve Unsullied discussed the issue for some time. Only when the water began to grow cool did they realise they'd spent too long in the bath, so they got out of the tubs and began wiping down their bodies.

During this process, Rego tried his best to avoid looking at the groins of his fellow incubi. He was used to the nudity of other Unsullied, and he'd even seen whole men nude in the past—when he was still in Astapor, some of the male masters would lay with bed slaves while he stood on watch. But it was an entirely different matter to see former eunuchs become whole again.

Being a mere Unsullied was so much simpler… I only had to do whatever was asked of me, never needing to worry about the future…

But now that I know the taste of freedom, I could never go back to that kind of life. No, it could not called a life at all…

When dry and fully dressed, Rego and the others left the bath. They immediately stopped in their tracks.

"H-Hello," said a very red-faced Elise. "I heard that you were in here, s-so I came here, to talk to you." She slapped her own cheeks. "I came here to tell you, please come to my room after dinner."

Rego felt his breath catch in his throat.

"So many things have happened lately," Elise continued. "Now that it's beginning to calm down… I think we should talk." She looked at the still-human Unsullied. "And that also—"

Zerah shook his head. "We are grateful for your kindness, Lady Elise, but we will refrain, at least for now."

"I see. Then—"

"Yes, we will surely come, Lady Elise," Quhuru said.

"You have our word!" Rego said, feeling irritated at being beaten to the punch again.

The other incubi gave their assent as well. Elise nodded and left.

Rego watched Elise's tail swish around happily as she walked. Then his gaze drifted to her wide hips and long legs, and then he pinched himself hard to bring himself back to reality.

A few weeks ago, when I was still stationed in the Great Pyramid, I overhead some servants gossiping. They thought that we were in a position any man would envy, yet also unfortunate in being unable to appreciate it at all.

I would like to see those servants' faces now!

Rego's thoughts were interrupted by stifled laughter. He realised it was coming from his still-human comrades.

"Seeing you look so foolish after talking to her..." Potho said in amusement, "it gives us another reason not to become incubi just yet."

Quhuru made a threatening gesture. "There's nothing foolish about honest feelings! I still remember that lesson from my family."

A lighthearted argument began, one that Rego casually shrugged off. After that brief meeting with Elise, he was in an immensely cheerful mood. He left the scene, almost skipping instead of walking.

Rego had an afternoon snack, then went to a lesson given by Miklaz, and after this he stepped out of the manse to inspect the new defences.

There was now a dry moat around the entire perimeter of the manse, five paces wide and just as deep. The sides of the moat had an unnatural smoothness only achievable with magic, ensuring that any attackers who fell in would be unable to climb out. The only way to cross the moat on foot was a single ridge leading up to the front door, and this was just wide enough for people to walk on single-file. Any attackers who tried approaching via the ridge could be easily knocked off by defenders. Lastly, the wall above the front door now had a slight expansion with murder holes in the bottom, allowing rocks or boiling liquids to be dropped on attackers. Overall, it was a level of defence expected for a fortress, not a luxury manse in the middle of a walled city.

And the Royal Sorceress originally wanted more than this… She wanted to include spikes at the bottom of the moat, and to not include the ridge giving access to the front door, and even to brick up all the windows on the ground floor—the windows weren't used in the recent attack, but she wanted to remove the opportunity for future attacks. But her daughters talked her out of this.

In addition to the added physical defences, the magical ones had been greatly strengthened. This was possible thanks to Rego and the other incubi contributing mana to them every single morning. According to the Royal Sorceress: "if all three dragons were to attack at once, it should take them at least half an hour to burn their way in."

I doubt anything could get past this… but I should not get complacent. We have many enemies outside Meereen. As they cannot win through military means, they will try all other means at their disposal…

Fortunately, Mhysa plans to crush them soon: Yunkai in three days' time, the other cities shortly after. That will reduce the number of threats to worry about.

Rego headed back inside for dinner. His good mood continued throughout the meal, despite all the smirks and stifled laughter from others. It wasn't hard to be cheerful when he was eating together with the woman he adored.

But after dinner, as the time of the fateful meeting grew close, Rego began to grow anxious again. He'd learned much about being an incubus and about monster society in the past couple of days, but it still wasn't enough to truly prepare him.

To calm himself before the fateful meeting, Rego retreated to his own room. That was a relatively recent addition; originally, he and the other Unsullied had been living communally in the servants' quarters. But the younger monsters had protested such conditions, despite the Unsullied saying they were fine with it. Ultimately, they'd done some renovation and now each and every resident of the manse had a room to themselves.

Just one of the many ways in which they care for us…

In the legends, getting such favour from magical creatures always came with a cost. Your family, your health, your very soul…

At this point, I would follow them into hell, no matter their true nature. But I know they aren't like that at all.

However, this wasn't doing anything to calm him down. To achieve that, Rego closed his eyes and forced himself to think of his training.

When he deemed himself calm enough, Rego went to Elise's room. There were four other incubi and two of the former bed slaves already present outside the door. The former group consisted of Quhuru, Merrabor, Jassen and Fieron, while the latter group consisted of Osaren and Grembarro.

"Hello, Rego," Quhuru said to him. "In the end, Beroq changed his mind, said he needed a lot more time to think. That's why he isn't here."

"I see."

Personally, Rego suspected that Beroq was still insecure about his appearance as an Ibbenese, even though monsters didn't care for appearance in their husbands. But Rego decided to stay quiet about that—Beroq's decisions were his own.

"We were invited by Lady Elise as well, to hear her offer," Osaren said. "Actually, she invited three of us, but Alatto politely refused. He said, now that he is a free man, he would like a relationship between him and only one other."

That was understandable as well. Rego suspected that even some of the men who'd come for this meeting still had their doubts.

Errol also isn't here, which is no surprise. Not only is he too young for Lady Elise to even consider, but he is already… Rego suppressed a chuckle, spoken for. He would not be invited in the first place.

Whereas Rego was one of those invited. This fact caused him to feel happy again, yet it also renewed his anxiety.

Fortunately, he didn't have to stew in anxiety for long, because the door soon opened.

"Please come in," Elise, now dressed in a red robe, said quietly. She kept her eyes on the floor.

They filed inside. The bedroom was quite spacious, having been designed for a child of the wealthy merchant who'd previously owned the manse. Even so, it felt cramped with eight people inside.

Elise sat down on the bed. Despite being a simple action, and despite her being dressed conservatively, seeing that made Rego shudder.

"I know that you've been taught a lot over the past two and a half days," Elise said. "To make sure we're on the same page, how much do you know about me?"

Merrabor shuffled forward. "When I asked your sisters, they said your society traditionally has a monster only… be with… one man in her life. But then they said that… not all monsters follow that…"

Elise nodded. "That's true. Well, this is just coincidence, but the four monsters here all have different approaches to romance. My mother is in a polygynous marriage. Amelia plans to eventually settle down with another monster. Colette… she's still young, but I know she'd like to find a man someday."

Rego already knew who that man, or rather boy, would be. Everyone in the manse knew, except perhaps the boy himself.

"And I… at home, I'm seen as a little silly. Like… Like a common-born person here wanting to become royalty."

"I don't think you're silly, Lady Elise!" Rego cried out.

Elise giggled. "Thank you. But at home, that kind of attitude is normal. After all…" her expression became downcast, "it's silly for a monster to want multiple husbands."

Everyone else was silent. If anyone had gasped in surprise, Rego would probably have hit him.

"For the vast majority of monsters, that isn't even possible. Powerful and influential monsters can achieve it, but it's uncommon even among them, often being seen as scandalous. But I'm just an ordinary monster… I've still tried to satisfy my desires despite that. At home, I would… often lie with a variety of men, all of them already married, but open to more. That's not unique to me… a considerable number of monsters in my generation do it too, because men are so scarce in our society…"

Rego glanced at Quhuru. He knew, from his recent education, that people from the Summer Isles also had a free attitude towards sexual intercourse.

"Some monsters eventually decide to join an existing marriage," Elise said. "Others never settle down, continuing to sleep around casually. But I don't want to take either path, because of my… unrealistic expectations." She wrung her hands nervously. "Do you think less of me for this?"

There was an immediate chorus of "No!" and "Of course not!", followed by hurried explanations as to why. In Rego's case, he said, "Lady Elise, there's nothing wrong with you following your own desires! We former slaves are all learning to do much the same thing!"

"Thank you for such kind words," Elise said, shivering with happiness. "There's something else I must point out. Because men are so scare compared to monsters in my society… if any of you agree t-to this, then we'll be envied greatly. Other monsters would try to seduce you away…"

"None of us would ever betray you, Lady Elise!" Merrabor said.

"We know the meaning of loyalty," Osaren said.

"Thank you for saying that," Elise said. "But… I know you're all good people, but I'm the only monster here who's ever tried to flirt with you. Back home, you would be targeted by monsters all the time, monsters much more charming than me…"

Rego wished he could reassure her immediately. However, he remembered how he'd recently been nervous around Elise's sisters and mother, despite them having zero interest in him. Those memories caused him to hesitate.

"I don't blame any of you for this," Elise continued. "That's just how we monsters are. You wouldn't be unaffected unless you either had someone you're already dedicated to, or you had Miklaz' inclination."

"Even so… we would never betray you, Lady Elise," Rego said as firmly as he could manage. "No matter the efforts of other monsters."

The other men in the room gave similar reassurances.

"Once more, thank you," Elise said. "Then, the very last thing I should say: none of you have to take part in this. You can leave this room now, and no one will blame you."

Rego considered the situation, and how an Unsullied would react at various points in history.

If a normal Unsullied were to be given this offer, he would calmly explain how he'd make an unsuitable husband. If pressed, he would eventually agree—orders were orders, after all.

If a recently freed Unsullied were to be given this offer, he would insist he didn't deserve such a thing. If pressed, he would still agree in the end, thanks to his lingering tendency to obey.

But if an Unsullied with a well-rounded education were to be given this offer…

Rego thought of something. "If I may ask… what are your thoughts about… children?"

Elise's cheeks turned pink. "I've considered children as well—obviously, as something in the long-term, not the short-term. This part is open to discussion, but… one fathered by each?"

It was a very uncommon kind of relationship. But not unheard of—Rego had learned about some societies with polyandry during his lessons. The ruling dynasty of Leng was one example, with each god-empress taking two husbands.

"I understand this isn't… typical," Elise said. "That's why, once again, you don't have to do this. Please don't think you must agree."

Rego considered his own personal situation.

If I had never been sold off, I would have remained in Pentos, son of a stonemason. Probably, I would have taken up the trade as well, married and had children, lived and died a nobody.

If I had remained an Unsullied, and never been bought by Mhysa, I would have fought in wars I had no interest in. Eventually, I would have died in war, my body becoming meat for hyenas and vultures.

If I had remained a soldier of Mhysa, I might have been able to live a long and happy life… but I certainly would not have had any prospects of marriage.

And now… I'm offered the choice between wedding a woman who kings would give up their crowns for… or rejecting her, after which I might choose any of her equally stunning sisters, or possibly another monster in the society she comes from.

The Royal Sor—Wilmarina Noscrim told us about these possibilities before. But until now… it didn't seem real to me, I kept telling myself it couldn't happen.

Rego looked at Elise again. She was still resolutely looking at the floor.

Before Rego could fully come to a decision, Jassen raised his hand.

"Lady Elise. I am honoured to receive such an offer, and for saving my life, you have my loyalty for the rest of my days. But…" the Lhazareen man lowered his head, "after considering it, I'm afraid I must decline. I… marriage is a blessing I had given up hope of having. Now that I have this opportunity again… I do not wish to be in a marriage like this. I am sorry."

"I understand," Elise said, sounding calm. "Thank you for hearing me out at all."

Jassen left the bedroom. Four incubi remained, along with two humans, and of course the one succubus who this room belonged to.

Grembarro, one of the former bed slaves, was next to speak. "Lady Elise, I am grateful for everything you and your family have done for me. If I had been serving your family for a few months more, I might accept. But…" his voice became quiet. "I still remember my life as a bed slave. At the moment, I do not wish to be with any woman in such a manner."

"O-Of course not!" Elise said, standing up from the bed in a panic. "I'm so sorry for reminding you of—"

Grembarro calmly shook his head. "It was my choice to come to this discussion, do not blame yourself. You deserved a proper answer, one formed after I listened to you in full. I will leave now. I hope you find a happy outcome tonight."

Then Grembarro left the room. Now it was four incubi and one human.

"I was hesitant to say this earlier, but I agree with Grembarro," Osaren said. "It's still too soon for me to consider laying with women again. I also hope for a different kind of relationship… so I am grateful beyond words that you do not force us into this. Goodnight. I shall pray for your happiness."

And now Osaren left. It was quite ironic: those originally trained in the arts of love had all refused, while soldiers who'd originally lost their manhoods were left.

But it makes sense… the former bed slaves do not necessarily enjoy their work, far from it. It is no different from how we Unsullied do not necessarily enjoy war.

Elise still looked outwardly calm. However, Rego had been around her for long enough to notice the almost-imperceptible trembling of her tail.

She must be afraid we'll all reject her…

Then I can't hesitate any longer!

"I ACCEPT!"

Everyone else in the room jumped back at Rego's sudden shout. However, he wasn't able to stop himself.

"I accept your offer, Lady Elise! I cannot offer you much in return, but if you… truly want me, then I swear to be yours for… for eternity!"

Elise gasped. On the other hand, Quhuru swore loudly.

"So this time, you got ahead of me… in that case, I'm not going to fall even further behind." He placed a hand over his heart. "Lady Elise, as I said before, I will do all in my power to make you happy. I… don't have the experience of most of my countrymen, but if you'll still have me—"

"That's not a problem at all," Elise said, waving her hands. "In the first place, none of you Unsullied have any sexual experience, but… erm…" Her voice shrank to a whisper. "I can make up for that."

That left just two: Merrabor and Fieron. Both tensed up due to now being the focus of attention.

"I never thought this would really happen…" Merrabor said, shaking his head. "But I haven't survived this long by being a coward! La—no, Elise! I would be blessed to become one of your husbands!"

Fieron shot a dirty look at Merrabor. "Leave me to be the last one, why don't you? …But I've made my decision as well. Lady Elise… I can't thank you enough for saving my life, and for showing me such interest. As with Jassen, you have my loyalty for the rest of my days. But I must reject your proposal… for your appearance is not what I prefer."

The other three Unsullied looked at Fieron with a mix of shock, horror and fury. Rego was tempted to punch him in the head for his outrageous words. His hands were already clenching into fists.

Yet Elise simply laughed. "Thank you for being honest! Then… can I ask, just what sort of appearance do you prefer?"

"I'm more inclined towards your twin sister," Fieron said brazenly. "Sadly, she would never have me."

Rego clenched his fists so tightly that it felt like the skin would burst. He was just one more word away from testing his incubus strength against Fieron's durability.

If I beat him until his skull breaks, surely the Royal Sorceress could heal him from that… It might just be enough to teach him politeness...

"That's a shame. Thank you again for being honest. When my family finds a way to return home, I could introduce you to some of my other sisters, I'm sure you'd like them."

"I look forward to it."

Fieron left the room. He grinned and left the parting words: "I hope you enjoy yourselves."

When Fieron was gone, Rego felt such fury that it overwhelmed the embarrassment he felt from those parting words. "Lady Elise, he should not have been so insolent!" he shouted. "May we punish him?"

"No, no, that would defeat the whole purpose! All of you were meant to decide for yourselves, without being pressured into it!"

"But he could have been more polite about it…" Quhuru said. "We will drop this matter if you say so. Then…" he gulped, "what happens next…?"

Rego wanted to know the answer to that as well. He had some knowledge of the topic, but it wasn't enough to prepare him for the reality, any more than someone who had read books about combat would be prepared to fight.

Will we have to… take turns?

"Before this, it was dinnertime," Elise said quietly. "I hope the three of you didn't eat too much. I made sure not to myself. Because now..."

Elise finally looked at the Unsullied. And the look in her eyes made Rego's heart pound furiously.

"We'll be having a different kind of meal…"

AN: Well, that was something I've never written before. I actually can't remember any MGE fanfic with this kind of relationship before, and I've read a ton of MGE fanfics.

As usual, please leave a review if you'd like to share your thoughts on this chapter.