A Wolf's Howl, A Fairy's Wing

After Erik and Elora agreed on the way forward, he went to rest and heal. Meanwhile, Elora started working on the adjustments she'd have to make.

The following morning, Elora was done with the easy part of her task, but before she could initiate the next step, Erik asked for her help with something completely unrelated: his dates with Emily, Emma, and Astrid.

He'd decided to take them out first, before Naeku, as they certainly deserved it. Their unwavering support as they followed his lead was, in large part, what allowed him to not only get this far in general, but mainly to rescue his mother. Without them, he never would have made it out of Djibouti.

Yet, if he wanted to take them on dates that more or less resembled those from the old, pre-awakening world, then he'd need some help. Although he'd done some scouting around Enkare Nkai to see if there were any spots they might enjoy, the pickings had been sparse.

Unfortunately, the economy of Naeku's realm was still stuck in a trade-based system after the awakening, which didn't really allow for any interesting hospitality businesses to crop up.

Yet, that didn't mean there was nothing to do. The population of the city mostly spend their leisure time on social gatherings, during which they played games and put on shows. Yet, he knew only one of his wives might be interested in that.

After discussing the possibilities, he'd finally planned out three separate dates. He decided he'd take them down in the same order as the marriages, so that meant Emma was first. That said, he still had some time to kill before he could take her out, and while Elora fulfilled his request.

'What should I do in the meantime?' he thought to himself, a curious eyebrow raised. He shortly considered just cultivating for a while, but he discarded that idea when he got a better idea: 'I should test out his method of sharing Elorium, before I use it on my wives…'

A lewd grin spread on his lips as he summoned Anne and Nora to his room.

* * *

Some hours later, his tests were successful. His two servants didn't leave the room entirely unscathed, but they'd be fine after some rest, and Erik had gained valuable knowledge about how this method worked.

Both Nora and Anne left stronger than they'd gone in, and he was now sure he could now do this without causing anyone harm.

Thus, it was time for his first date.

He called Emma over to him, and she soon entered his room. As always, she was dressed in her fantastical maid outfit, and her lips were curled up into a bright smile. "Master? What ca— Oh…"

She fell silent when she noticed what Erik wore. He was dressed in a surprisingly formal, black and purple suit that contrasted nicely against his amber eyes and silver-white hair. His short, usually wild hair was now combed back, and the stubble on his chin was gone.

Erik grinned at her stunned expression. "There you are! What do you think of the outfit?"

Slowly, a blush began to appear on her cheeks. 'Y— You look very handsome, Master. What's the occasion?" She clearly approved of the look, as she couldn't take her eyes off him, her body quickly heating up.

Erik chuckled and took some quick steps closer to her. Once in ranged, he grabbed her hand before she could respond, and planted a kiss on the back of it. "You are, Emma."

Emma's eyes widened, and her blush deepened. Her body started to tremble softly, her eyes now focused on her hand, still grasped by Erik. "Wha— Wha— What do you mean?!"

Erik lips curled up slightly as he raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you forgot about the dates I promised you and your sisters?"

Finally, realization dawned on the young woman's face. She was helpless to resist against the joyful smile that broke out, even as her eyes began to shine with pure happiness. "R— Really?! Now?! B— But what about the others?!"

Erik smiled back at her and finally released her hand, instead cupping her cheek and taking a step closer. Closely, he looked into her eyes, "Don't worry about them, little Glimmer. Tonight, it's just you and me."

Emma's index fingers poked together rapidly. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, and her eyes darted around. But then she nodded rapidly as her nervosity began to make way for enthusiasm, "Okay! W— Where are we going, Master?!"

Erik pulled back and smirked playfully. He held up a finger. "First of all, you're not allowed to call me Master or Sir tonight. Acceptable terms are Erik, my love, or Husband, but feel free to come up with something else."

Emma looked like she was going to protest, but Erik cut her off when he held up a second finger. "Second of all, you must wear the dress I just deposited in your storage earing. It's a gift from Elora."

For a moment, it looked like she was still going to bring up his first point, but then she couldn't suppress her curiosity anymore, and quickly checked out the dress. Her eyes immediately began to shine with excitement.

Her body flashed with light as the maid outfit disappeared. Unfortunately, before Erik could enjoy her supple body, the dress replaced it. Yet, Erik was instantly stunned.

Her new dress flowed across her body like a second skin, perfectly hugging her modest curves. It was mainly white, with light green decorations, perfectly matching her heterochromatic eyes and long white hair.

The material was thin, but not so thin as to show skin. Rather, it made her look like a nymph, dancing through the forest, in the same way that the dress danced around her.

As soon as it appeared, enchantments inside the dress bunched up her hair and braided it into a perfectly fitting style, somewhat startling Emma. Read exclusive content at empire

Yet, when it was done, the young woman could not help but admire herself.

Finally, she looked up at Erik shyly. "W— Well? How do I look, Ma— I mean… Husband?"

Her question shook him free from his rapture, causing him to smile. "Like a goddess." Slowly, he stepped up to her as he cupped his hands. Rapidly, icy energy started to gather between them. "You're only missing one thing…"

When he revealed his hands, Emma started to blink rapidly. The blush on her cheeks deepened, and she looked down at the floor.

'She's far too precious and beautiful for this world,' Erik thought inwardly as he looked at her, his mind full of admiration and love. Then, he stepped forward, and carefully planted the icy flower he'd created in her soft white hair.

When it was done, Emma looked up again. Erik offered her his arm with a charming smile. "Shall we, my lady?"