'll show you everything that the Makati showed me. They did an _awesome_ job on it. Ayuma was so impressed she almost kissed Prekt, the lead engineer on the team. She had no complaints at all. They patterned it after the original Academy, but made it a little bigger. It's circular, like the original one, and it's split into six main sections. One section is the medical school and bio-research facilities. There's a physical sciences section, a sociological sciences section, an engineering, computer, and technological research section, a history and general studies section, and an arts section."

"Arts?"

Jason nodded. "The original Academy's largest campus was the campus of the arts. Music, literature, sculpture, painting, and so on. The Karinnes grouped literature and language in with arts rather than history or general studies, so the Faey Language school will be on that campus rather than the general studies campus."

"And an English language school."

"Of course, and however many languages I can get for it. The Makati already have a Makati language teaching staff ready to take a spot, and Kumi told me that the five races of the Alliance have already offered to send language professors, but only if we guarantee they get to teach the _right_ way. No implantation," he chuckled.

"That sounds _boring_. Why spend five years learning what I can pick up in five minutes?"

"Because when you learn it that way, it stays with you longer," he answered. "I'm kinda curious about the Bari-Bari. I wonder what their language sounds like, since they're ten feet tall simians."

"I've heard it. It's weird. What's this area?"

"The living quarters. It's sectioned off by the environmental needs of the inhabitants. Not everyone breathes oxygen and can tolerate our gravity, so each section will have different environmental conditions. We'll even have some classrooms in these environment blocks, both for the students to take remote classes outside their environment when they either can't or don't want to use an E-suit, and also to teach about alternate environments. I'm kinda looking forward to going into a couple of them."

"How long will it take for them to build it?"

"Five months," he answered. "They're going to basically take over the entire city of Norfolk with like thirty thousand Makati workers. They said they'll have the whole place up and all the equipment installed in five months. I don't believe them, but we'll see if they can live up to that claim. Ayuma says they can, so we made a little bet."

"A bet?"

"Yeah. I put a Duchess title up against her ancient Jakkan war mask that the Makati are late on their deadline."

Songa laughed. "You'd better be ready to give Ayuma a new title," she told him. "The Makati _never_ miss a deadline, Jason. They're always very conservative. If they come in on deadline, they're actually late. They always pad their estimate to deal with unforeseen problems."

"Practical. Damn, though, I was really hoping to get that mask. It was really cool."

"Is Ayuma handling the courses?"

He nodded. "She's done pretty well. Before she even got here to set up her offices, she already had quite a few professors under contract, and she's already written out an operational guideline. She ran a university on Makan, so she has lots of experience with it. She set up a four term year. Here, she put it all on a handpanel for me." He reached out to the handpanel with both his hand and his mind, enacting the telekinetic abilities which Dahnai had trained very well, causing the handpanel on the shelf to float over to him steadily and quickly. He took it from the air and offered it to her, which made Songa laugh.

"I've never seen you do that before!" she told him in surprise. "I knew you could do it, but seeing it is something else!"

"I know, and I get scolded for not practicing," he chuckled. "My telekinesis is common knowledge in the _Siann_. It's a family trait of the Karinne ruling family. It's how I proved who I am."

"I read about that in _Court Daily_," Songa told him. "It said you had to use telekinesis to prove you were descended from the last Grand Duchess."

"Yeah, I had to take the signet ring out of Empress Dahnai's hand," he told her. "Anyway, that's the report Ayuma gave me, outlining all her organization plans for the school. Read it if you want. Tell me what you think of it, I'd like your opinion."

"Sure, I'd love to," she said, taking the panel. "Did Yohne talk to you about the school?"

"What do you mean?"

"We were talking the other day, and Kumi told her that she needed to open up and be more than her personal doctor. Be a house doctor. You know how she's resisted that."

"Yeah."

"Well, she was kicking around the idea of asking you if she could take a post at the Academy, as either a teacher or in the campus hospital."

"If that's what she'd like, sure. I'll talk to Ayuma about it tomorrow."

"I'll tell her to come talk to you then."

"Works for me."

                                        * * *

Luke and Songa were married the very next day, in a private, quiet, intimate ceremony that involved both a Baptist minister and a Templar of Trelle. The two clergymen seemed to get along, chatting amiably after the ceremony, and after they chatted they both approached Jason directly. "We've heard that you're rebuilding the Academy, your Grace. Have you thought to include shrines and chapels on the grounds for the spiritual well being of your students?" the white-haired Templar asked him.

"Actually, we did," he answered them. "And we have a Religious Studies branch too, part of the History and General Studies college."

"Very good! What faiths will be represented?"

"Any faith that wants to send representatives," he answered. "I understand the council of the Templars has already dispatched the monks and Templars to start an abbey there, and some of them are going to teach Faey religious history and open a seminary school. And the Catholic Church is going to have a chapel there, too, and they're sending some teachers to teach Terran religions at the school. I'm sure they'll be biased, but they promised to teach about all of them, and not just Catholicism." Jason laughed. "They'll be running a Catholic seminary at the Academy too. All the chapels and shrines are going to be in the same block of the grounds, near the dormitories for the students so they don't have to go far to attend services. I hope we don't have any holy wars starting down there. There are going to be churches and shrines of different faiths literally across the streets from each other. From looking at the plans, there's going to be a Jewish synagogue and an Islamic mosque standing side by side. I hope they behave. Those two religions have had some issues in Terra's past, and I was kinda worried I might have a pitched battle in the street between them."

Both of them laughed. "Oh, I doubt that you'll have any fights, your Grace," the minister said. "My Templar companion here may be a heathen, but at least he's a personable fellow."

The Templar laughed, clapping the minister on the back. "I was about to say the same thing about you."

"Would you care if I asked the Baptists if they want to send a pastor?" the Baptist minister asked.

"Sure, I'll give you a vidlink number so you can talk to Dean Ayuma's staff about it," Jason answered. "I want the Academy to be inclusive, not exclusive. The more viewpoints are represented there, the better. Maybe if we understand each other better, we won't fight."

"Well said, your Grace," the Templar nodded.

"I'm just glad you didn't forget about the spiritual well being of the students, your Grace," the Templar said with an approving nod.

"Don't thank me. The need for chapels was brought up in the summit we held when we started work on designing the Academy."

"Ah, good."

                                        * * *

No matter how much he hated it, Jyslin was quite adamant and would not budge. Though he understood a little better, he still wasn't quite happy about it. But as in all things, usually, what Jyslin wanted, Jyslin got. She knew him too well, and at least in this issue, he had absolutely no one on his side. Everyone, even Tim, sided with Jyslin on the matter, and he found himself roped into schedule of forced interludes with the women of the squad at peak times in their monthly fertility cycles, where their trysts were not for fun or enjoyment, but solely for the purpose of impregnating the woman.

Not that it wasn't fun. None of them were reluctant about it at all, and he made a specific point to talk to them before hand to make sure where they stood. But they had the same outlook as Yana. Jason had to protect his line, and it wasn't just a duty to them. It was a privilege, an honor, both a way to pay him back for his kindness and a chance to be part of his life by having children with him. And they were quite affectionate with him. They knew he wasn't too keen on the idea of it, so they made it easy for him, making it seem less like he was being forced and more like the fun it was supposed to be.

They didn't tell him when it was time, one of them just showed up, to make it seem as spontaneous as possible for him, to take the pressure off him. After Yana, and to his eternal shock, it was Maya that was sitting on the sofa in their bedroom, wearing nothing but a fedora. "Maya!" he gasped. "You're married!"

"Yes, but Vell fully supports this, and has given his blessing," she told him. "And my daughters would love a new playmate. So come here, Jason," she said, crooking a finger at him. "It's my turn to see if Jyslin was just bragging. And after a few days of fun, I get to carry part of you under my heart and know that I'm forever part of your family."

Songa may have joked about the virility of human men, but it proved true a second time. Jason got Maya pregnant on the first try, just as he had with Yana. And it wasn't just his side; Sheleese had become pregnant by Erinn, and Myleena came running into his apartment just the other day, ecstatic because _she_ was pregnant. And after Ayuma was told what was going on, she called on an old friend of hers and invited him to Earth, trying to get pregnant, agreeing that increasing the numbers of the house was the primary objective of the house at this time.

Everywhere he looked, Karinne women were getting pregnant. And he wasn't the only one to notice. Several of the _Siann_ mentioned all these blessings the next time he was called to court, and Dahnai made a special note to ask him about it after practice. "So, you must be one tired guy," she giggled. "Jemaari says you've got three girls pregnant. What's going on over there?"

"It wasn't entirely my idea," he said. "It was decided that since there's so few of us, we had to have children. Four each, by four different mothers for me. Each of the women have to have four babies by four different fathers."

"Enriching the gene pool," she noted with a nod. "That's actually not a bad idea. With only like fifteen Faey Karinnes, you have to establish a viable base."

"Well, it wasn't _my_ idea," he growled. "I was against it, but I got overruled."

"Who could overrule you?"

"Jyslin," he snorted. "She's decided that it's necessary, and I can't say no to her. Not after what she threatened to do. It was blackmail of the highest order."

Dahnai laughed. "Sounds like you've got your hands full over there. But hey, I agree with Jyslin. You need to spread out the genes some, baby, and at the same time, you need more members. Inducting people is one way, but you can never be absolutely sure you can trust them. But having kids guarantees you have Karinnes, since you can raise them to be loyal." They walked into her apartment, and she immediately shed her practice clothes, standing there in her glorious nudity. He looked at her belly, and saw that she was still flat as a board from her ribs to her hips. "I'm not showing yet," she said with a giggle when she saw where he was looking. "The docs already told me to stop doing abdominal exercises. They don't want the kid to have to push against rock-hard abs for space. "I got one coming, and you've got, what, three?"

"Don't remind me."

"Hey, for men, it's all fun and games. You don't have to push a baby out. I've done it twice, hon, and trust me, it's no picnic. That's the pain we suffer, the price we pay, for the joy and privilege of being a mother."

"I sometimes find it hard to believe you have two kids."

"Yeah, I know, I don't look it, do I?" she asked, putting a hand on her hip and strutting a bit for him, showing off. "Well, I was gonna take you into the bedroom and fuck you, but it sounds like they've got you pretty much well worn out. You still have one to go, by my count, so far be it from me to drain out your seed for no reason other than a little fun."

"That's so considerate of you," he drawled dryly.

She laughed. "What, you wanna? Hey, if you wanna, I'm all for it."

"I'm exhausted, Dahnai. I was so glad you sent a call to court I could kiss you, because it got me out of sight. They pushed another of the women on me, Ilia, and now they're waiting to see if she gets pregnant. But that's no guarantee that they won't decide to send another. Can I beg off this time?"

"Sure, hon, sure. I'm not used to being rebuffed, but I can see you could use a break. After telekinesis practice, wanna catch a movie or something? Maybe some dinner?"

"Now that sounds nice. I'd like a nice quiet evening that _doesn't_ involve sex."

"How can an evening be that nice that doesn't involve sex?" she asked in sincere confusion.

"You're about to find out."

They had a nice dinner after practice and sacked out on the couch to watch the vidlink, and he had to ask. "You know, I heard a rumor that you're going out with another guy."

She laughed. "Jealous?"

"No, no, just wondering if it's true."

"Well, I _did_ meet someone," she said. "He's a minor noble from Saenne, Zarinen Kellin Saenne. He's barely an adult, but he's really interesting. I met him in the hall about two weeks ago when I was running down to the kitchen for something to eat, and he didn't bow to me. One of the guards kicked his feet out from under him as he went by, and he seemed really surprised. He never _saw_ us. Seems he had his nose in a handpanel, reading some old books. He wants to be a historical scholar, but his house sent him here to court so he could learn about politics. He was cute, so I invited him down to the kitchens and we talked a while over a sandwich. He was really funny, and didn't seem to be afraid of me at all! That was _so_ refreshing!"

Miaari did tell him that Dahnai would find someone she could love. Maybe this Saenne noble could be the one.

"So, what happened next?"

She laughed. "Well, I was feeling a bit horny, and he's _really_ cute. Let's say that he filled your shoes. And he did a great job! He's young, but since he's handsome, he's had enough laps around a bed to know what he's doing. Felt weird looking up at the guy banging me so good and seeing blue skin. For a minute I thought he was you. His dick isn't quite as big as yours, but he knew how to make up for it. And those young guys can go _all_ night," she said in a purring voice.

"Uh, Dahnai, I _am_ young. I'm only twenty three."

She laughed. "It's easy to forget that sometimes. Guess it explains why you can go all night," she said with a laugh, slapping his shoulder.

"How old are you?"

"I'm forty-one," she told him. "Still considered in my youth, but I'll be seeing middle age coming up on the horizon in about ten years."

"To humans, you'd _be_ middle aged."

"Yeah, well, Faey live to a hundred and fifty or so on the average, so I'm not even halfway there yet."

"Wow, human only live to like seventy."

"Faey women can still have babies at seventy," she told him. "Well, technically, anyway. There's been cases of it, but it's not normal." She turned on the couch and looked at him. "I would say be careful and live as long as you can, but you're part Faey too, so hopefully you'll live longer than seventy."

"I hope so too," Jason agreed. "So, back to the topic. What happened _after_ the sex?"

"We talked. You know I'm a history nut, and Kellin is into history too, big-time. We had an actual _argument_ about the originating species of the Alliance. Can you believe it? An _argument_! That guy had some balls, I'll give him that! I never dreamed someone from such a small house would have the nerve to argue with me!"

"Sounds like someone you need to get to know."

"Yeah, I already called him back to court," she nodded. "He went back to Orion, the Saenne home planet, that's why he's not here. I've called him back. He was told he'd better be here at court tomorrow. Stay over tonight and meet him, okay?"

"Sure, lemme just call home and tell Jyslin I'll be here."

"You can stay with me tonight. I'll keep my hands off, promise," she grinned.

"I'm gonna hold you to that."

"No problem, hon. I can see you're tired. I may love a good fuck with you, but I'm also enough of your friend to know when to give you a little space."

"I really appreciate that, hon," he told her, patting her on the leg and kissing her cheek. "Lemme go call Jys, and then I'm gonna go ahead and turn in early. I'm really tired."

"Go on ahead. I'm gonna take a bath, and I'll be there after I dry off."

Jason met Kellin Saenne before court the next morning, and was impressed. He was the tallest Faey male Jason had ever seen in his life, a bit over six feet tall, almost as tall as Jason's six feet four inches. That explained why Dahnai, who was so tall herself at six-three, just a shade shorter than Jason, was attracted to him. Kellin was taller than any other male Jason had seen, but still shorter than Dahnai, who would probably feel a touch threatened by a male taller than her. He also wasn't willowy like other Faey males. Kellin wasn't buff, but he was definitely not a couch potato. His was an athletic build, not what Jason expected from a man who wanted to teach history. He had reddish-blond hair and green eyes, and was indeed handsome in the way Faey women were pretty.

"It's good to meet you, your Grace," Kellin said, bowing to Jason in Dahnai's apartment before court, as Dahnai was dressed by her maids. "Empress Dahnai spoke very highly of you, and I've heard some interesting things about you and your house. When will the new Academy be built?"

"About four months, but I don't think it'll be open for six," he answered as Dahnai fussed at her maid, slapping her lightly on the top of her head as she knelt and did some of the ties at the Empress' waist.

"I'm waiting for that," Dahnai said from where she was being dressed. "I want to attend the opening ceremony."

"You're welcome to come," Jason told her.

"I was hoping to attend the Academy as a student," Kellin told Jason. "I've always been fascinated by the Karinnes. Attending the new Academy would be like living in history. I'd love that."

"Enrollment is open to anyone really," Jason shrugged. "I think you'd have to talk to Ayuma though. I'm not sure what enrollment standards she's going to set."

"Well, I graduated from my prep school at the top of my class," he said proudly. "And I've already taken some Academy-level courses at my prep school in history."

"That might be enough. I'll ask Ayuma about it for you."

"Really? Thank you, your Grace! That's very kind of you!"

"Any friend of Dahnai's is a friend of mine," he told the young man easily.

"I don't know about calling her Majesty a _friend_ just yet," he whispered.

"I heard that! And I do like you, Kellin. That's why you're here, dipshit! I want to get to know you better. After court we're gonna go talk a while."

"I thought, uh," he started, then trailed off, looking at Jason.

Dahnai laughed. "That was fun too," she winked. "_Real_ fun. With a little more experience, you'll be as good a lay as the Grand Duke, and I'm looking _forward_ to giving you that kind of education. I have to get my sessions in with you before my pregnancy makes me fat and unattractive."

Kellin actually blushed. "Your Grace, did you learn much of your house after reclaiming it? I did a paper on the Karinnes, and they had a rich and somewhat controversial history. Have you learned it?"

"Oh, he knows his house history," Dahnai said sourly from where she was. "He knows so much he won't even tell me!"

"The ship I found had the records of the house on it, as well as certain instructions and orders from the last of the old house," he told Kellin. "Part and parcel of those records was the commands issued to me by my predecessor, commands I decided to obey, because I agree with them. Reopening the Academy was one of those commands. Keeping Karinne separate from the Imperium was another."

"Separate?"

"We're part of the Imperium, but only up to a point," he answered. "If you did a paper on us, you know that the Karinnes were very reclusive."

"Yes."

"There was a reason for it, and I have to continue the practice."

"He's defending the knowledge of the Karinnes," Dahnai said, giving him a mean look. "They left more than just commands, Kellin. They left some of their research behind, and he won't share it."

Jason wouldn't answer that, so they talked about something else. Turned out that Kellin had the body he had because he loved to play batchi, a game that was like a cross between basketball, lacrosse, and hockey, which was rather physical and not often played by men, given players tended to hit each other with the batchi sticks. But given how tall Kellin was, he'd make a good striker, able to reach over the other strikers for the ball. That led to a discussion about the professional batchi league, where Jason was educated quickly about the nuances of batchi. Dahnai liked batchi.

"Where do you play batchi?" Dahnai asked.

"Just a local fun league. My team is called the Rakers, but the other teams call us the Tubers because of me," he chuckled. "But we're nine and three, and one more win puts us in the fun league playoffs. I play center striker."

"Wow, rough spot. You must get banged around a lot."

He laughed. "Yeah, at first, the other players seemed to take offense to a man playing batchi, so I got fouled a lot. That's why I'm the best penalty shooter on Orion III. Ninety six percent score rate on penalties. The other coaches don't let them foul me anymore," he laughed.

"You any good outside of penalty shots?"

"I'd like to say I am, but it's not very seemly to brag."

"Eh, I'd have to see you play. Meezi, where's my crown!"

Dahnai finished getting ready for court, and she tugged at her robes. "I only have a couple of things to do today, and you're not dressed for court Kellin, so stay here. You going home, Jayce?"

"Yeah, I have some paperwork, and I have an appointment with Miaari today."

"An appointment? She just walks into your office whenever she pleases," Dahnai accused.

"Yeah, well, that's the friend. This has something to do with official Kimdori business, so she's following the protocols."

"The other houses _hate_ you for that," Dahnai laughed. "You have a Handmaiden for an ambassador, and she's you personal friend. That gives you the mother of all inside tracks straight to Denmother Zaa. Alright, time to go to work. Stay here, Kellin, and don't touch anything! Keep him out of trouble," she told one of the guards, who nodded to her as four other guards formed up to escort Dahnai to court.

"That was... odd," Kellin confided in Jason after she left. "She calls me back here from Orion, and I'm not attending court? What does she want from me?"

"She wants to get to know you, and she can't do that in court," he answered.

"She's interested in me that way? I never knew. I mean, I thought she brought me back to her apartment last week because she was looking for a quick score, you know? She certainly didn't seem that interested the morning after. Well, she did at first, but then we started arguing about who started the Alliance. I thought I offended her, so I went back home _real_ quick."

"The arguing was what got her interested in you," Jason chuckled. "She wants to date men who aren't afraid of her title, who'll take her for who she is, not what she is. When you argued with her over history, you were arguing with _Dahnai_, not _the Empress_. They're two very different people. That you seemed to realize that got her very interested in you."

"I didn't realize anything, I just kinda lost my head because her conclusions were so utterly wrong," he laughed ruefully. "Like I said, I left in a hurry after the argument, and she didn't seem all that interested in having me stay."

"Oh, she's _very_ interested in you, Kellin, trust me. Are you interested in her?"

"Of course, she's the _Empress_!"

"No, Kellin. Are you interested in _Dahnai_?"

The young Fay looked at him, then seemed to understand. He nodded slowly. "Yeah, I am. Empress Dahnai is smart and funny, and she really likes history, just like me. I could get to know a woman like her."

"Then you just passed your first test, Kellin. Always remember that there's a _woman_ under that crown and those robes, a living, breathing woman with hopes, dreams, and a personality. I can assure you, she puts her pants on one leg at a time in the morning, the same way you do. Don't let her title blind you to the woman, but you'd better not forget that she has that title when you're in public, and treat her with the respect she's due."

"Wow. You think she reallyI mean, do you really think she'd go out with me? I'd really like it. She was so _fun_, nothing what I expected, and I thought I blew it when I started arguing with her."

"The argument is what earned you a second date, kid," Jason laughed. "If you had the guts to stand your ground with her, she knew you'd treat her like the lady she is, and not the Empress. Just be honest with her, that's all. Be honest about who you are, show her who you are, not what you think she wants to see. If she wanted that, there's a whole room full of shallow images in the audience chamber for her to choose from. She wants someone _real_. Show her _Kellin Saenne_, not _Zarinen Saenne_. Show her who you are, and if she likes what she sees, expect to be a regular visitor here."

"Wow. You think I have a chance with her? I mean, you're her _amu dorai_. You know what she likes."

"I think you do, as long as you remember the three rules for dealing with Dahnai. First, be yourself. Second, remember that in private, she's not a title, she's a person, so treat her like one. Trust me, she's one of the most interesting and wonderful people around, and it's enriched my life to be with her. But remember that there's a time to treat her like a person, and a time to treat her like the Empress. Don't disrespect her in public, but once the doors are closed and you're in private, she's not the Empress anymore, she's just Dahnai. Third, don't try too hard. It's not a competition, kid. Just because you know she's interested, don't _try_ to win her favor. If you do that, you're gonna lose it quick. Just be yourself and let her make up her own mind. If you force the issue, you'll force her to decide against you. Until she does, just enjoy it. Dahnai is a wonderful person, both in and out of that bed. I look forward to the visits just to be with her way more than the sex. But the sex is good too," he admitted with a rueful chuckle. "You'll have a great time with her, no matter what you do. That's a promise."

"Wow," he breathed, scratching his cheek. "I'll try, your Grace."

"Jason, my name is Jason. I don't like titles in private, friend. Trust me, I'm probably the most uncomfortable noble in the _Siann_ with his title. If we're in private, don't call me that."

"Alright, Jason. Are you staying?"

"No, I have things to do. But we'll see each other again. That's a guarantee."

                                        * * *

It was the beginning of the change in his relationship with Dahnai, for Kellin Saenne did not waste any time, in the eyes of the public, worming his way into Dahnai's personal life. Their official first date was a major event for the Imperium, but that official first date came about three weeks after they started seeing each other, privately... but that wasn't exactly a secret either. The tabloids always kept up to date on Dahnai's lovers and conquests, so it was already public knowledge that Dahnai had chanced to meet Kellin in the halls of the palace, and then took him back to her apartment to have sex with him. It was also noticed when Kellin hurriedly left Dracora just afterwards, hinting he'd insulted the Empress, but then there was curiosity when he was recalled, not immediately, which would have been the action of an angry Empress, but days later, which was more the act of a curious Empress. After the second time Kellin spent the night with Dahnai, the tabloids started looking into this unusual young man, who was as tall as a woman and played batchi, yet was very scholarly and studious, very admirable male traits in Faey society. The tabloids kept the Imperium informed as the two of them privately met, unofficial dates that weren't unusual for Dahnai, given her relationship with Jason.

Those visits basically sealed the deal. Dahnai had confided to Jason just before she officially asked him out for a public date that she was of a mind to either make him her _amu dorai_ or marry him, either or. She wasn't sure yet which she was going to do.

Sometimes, Jason was there. Sometimes, he wasn't, but Dahnai kept him abreast of everything. Simply put, Dahnai was _smitten_ by Kellin Saenne. He was the perfect man for her, and she could barely do anything else but talk about him when he visited her. She told him about all their dates and rendezvous, all their conversations, and she couldn't find a bad word to say about him. She found him to be quiet, reserved, kind, thoughtful, but had a strong will and wasn't intimidated by Dahnai's title. He was very open and honest with her, willing to be himself around her, and treating her like a woman he was very interested in for who she was, not the political advantages she could bring to his house.

Which was exactly what Jason told him to do.

Three months after that first date, the news was broken in a firestorm that swept through every major media center in the Im