Message-ID: <32444asstr$999907802@assm.asstr-mirror.org> Return-Path: <news@news1.rdc1.tn.home.com> X-Original-Path: not-for-mail From: "Luke Gillis" <mementh@home.com> X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4522.1200 X-Original-Message-ID: <zZZl7.172725$k7.41356883@news1.rdc1.tn.home.com> NNTP-Posting-Date: Thu, 06 Sep 2001 23:40:31 PDT X-ASSTR-Arrival-Date: Fri, 07 Sep 2001 06:40:31 GMT Subject: {ASSM} In Memory on Xanthos Pendragon: MasterPC: The Eclectic's Edition - The Wedding (file 15/18) Date: Fri, 7 Sep 2001 20:10:02 -0400 Path: assm.asstr-mirror.org!not-for-mail Approved: <assm@asstr-mirror.org> Newsgroups: alt.sex.stories.moderated,alt.sex.stories Followup-To: alt.sex.stories.d X-Archived-At: <URL:http://assm.asstr-mirror.org/Year2001/32444> X-Moderator-Contact: ASSTR ASSM moderation <story-ckought69@hotmail.com> X-Story-Submission: <ckought69@hotmail.com> X-Moderator-ID: gill-bates, hecate The following story is a work of fiction, though some events contained within it may (or may not) be based upon real-life events. It contains scenes of an adult nature, so if you are under 18, stop reading now. This story contains explicit sexual language and fantasies. If you are offended by such activities, do not read any further. This is purely a fantasy. The author is not responsible for any damage resulting from reading this work. If you're looking for a jerk-off story, look somewhere else. This isn't one. Almost all characters in this story are purely fictional. The part of Xanthos Pendragon is based upon what I believe I would do with this particular program. ALL characters are 21 or older. For those who are not familiar with the "MasterPC" story line, this story deals heavily with concepts that some people (particularly the religious wrong) may find offensive. In particular, this story deals with mind control, body shaping and manipulation (including breast growth), interracial sex, both heterosexual and lesbian sex, anal sex, and possible references to mother-daughter sex. While some of these concepts may be turnoffs to many readers (especially the interracial and incest parts) be aware that these are not actually part of the theme of the story, but are more along the lines of side-notes. There are also a few minor references to something that could be considered to be non-sexual torture. Again, this is not part of the theme of the story, but rather something you may wish to be aware of ahead of time. In some ways, this could possibly be considered a "Romantic Mind Control Story with Ethics" -- if that's possible. This story may be reposted or archived provided the following conditions are met: 1) The story is not altered in any way 2) The story contains my name and disclaimer 3) You do not make money from the story -- this includes banner-sites, pay-sites, and other paid mediums. From the dictionary: e-clec-tic adj. 1. Selecting or employing individual elements from a variety of sources, systems, or styles: an eclectic taste in music; an eclectic approach to managing the economy. 2. Made up of or combining elements from a variety of sources: "a popular bar patronized by an eclectic collection of artists, writers, secretaries and aging soldiers on reserve duty" (Curtis Wilkie). n. One that follows an eclectic method. Timeline: "The Wedding" occurs four months after "A Birthday". The Cast: Xanthos Pendragon Caucasian, 6'1", 175 Lbs., Dark Brown Hair, Blue Eyes, 35 Years Old Melissa (Lis) Hispanic, 5'8", Black Hair, Brown Eyes, 25 Years Old Anna Asian, 5'10", Black Hair, Brown Eyes, 25 Years Old Katrina (Kat) Finish, 5'6", Black Hair, Emerald Green Eyes, 23 Years Old Laura Caucasian, 5'11", Red Hair, 31 Years Old, (Formerly Sonya Lovewell) Angie (or Angela) Caucasian, 5'6", Red Hair, 23 Years Old, Laura's Daughter Tiffany (Tif) Caucasian, 5'8", Light Blonde Hair, Blue Eyes, 29 Years Old Amy Caucasian, 5'5", Brown (almost Black) Hair, Amber Eyes, 29 Years Old Mei Asian, 5'3", Black Hair, Brown Eyes, 31 Years Old Note: Everyone's aging was slowed down by 80% 2 years ago, so everyone still looks 2 years younger than their present age. Master PC: The Eclectic's Edition -- The Wedding by Xanthos Pendragon Xanthos -- A Saturday Morning in January I guess it's time to take care of another detail. I picked up the phone and called my best friend -- from before I found Master Control -- who was currently living near Dallas, Texas. Ken is 6' tall, slim (the last time I saw him), 27 years old, with grey hair. He says that the grey hair (that he's had since High School) was genetic... I prefer to believe that it has something to do with his getting hit by lightning twice when he was still in school. I had met him back when he was the boyfriend of a former roommate. (Who he is now married to.) We've done quite a few things together (camping, paintball, card games, and so on) and became very good friends. Of course, the fact that I hadn't had that many friends to begin with made his friendship that much closer. He had mentioned something one time about there being two families: the one you're born with, and the one you choose. Ken and Kristi were my chosen family. As far as I was concerned, they were my brother and sister.) When he moved from El Paso to Dallas (about 600 miles from El Paso) to complete college, our get-togethers became much more infrequent. <Hello> Terry answered. (Ken's sister. We'd only met a few times.) "Hey, Terry. Is Ken there?" <No, he and Kristi moved out last year. Let me find his number for you. > A minute later, I had it and called his new house. <Hello.> "Hey, bro. How goes it?" <Xanthos! Long time no hear!> "Yeah. It has been a while, hasn't it?" <Yeah. How have you been doing?> I chuckled and said, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." <Try me.> "Okay. I'm getting married next month, and I'd like you to be my best man." Ken coughed and I heard something break at his end. <Congratulations!> "You okay?" <Yeah. I just dropped my drink. Wait till Kristi hears about it!> "Should be interesting. I want her there too." <We wouldn't miss it. So, when's the wedding?> "Third Saturday, next month; here in North Carolina." <Nor... Damn! I didn't even know you'd moved!> "Sorry. I thought I sent you a message about that. I moved here about two and a half years ago." <I may have just missed it. So, what's she like?> I chuckled again, knowing that he would NEVER believe it if I told him over the phone. "Let's just say that I have to be the luckiest son-of-a-bitch on the face of the Earth right now!" <That good, huh?> "Like I said, you'd never believe me. So, are you up for it?" <Of course. When do you need us there?> "How about the weekend before? That'll give us enough time to finish up the details." <I'll see if we can get that much time off and let you know.> "Great. Don't worry about money either. I'll cover yours and Kristi's expenses." <You don't have to do that...> he started. "Trust me, it's not a problem. Besides, I'm in a much better position to be able to do that." <So, what are you doing now?> "I've got a small consumer electronics company that makes remote controls and does contract work for other companies." <You've got? I thought you used to sell computers and software? How did you jump into that?> "That company went belly-up. After that, I got lucky and was able to help Bishop (The Sheriff's Deputy from Chapter 1) and the PD collect a few people. Let's just say that I got a nice commission in return. With that, I moved over here and had a nice little house built." <Grin!!!> "I also met someone with a serious electronics and management background, and we started Xanthos Industries. Now I'm just retired." <Damn! Sounds like an interesting three years!> "You could say that." We finished off the conversation with phone numbers and addresses, and I told him I'd send the tickets as soon as he confirmed when he could make it. I can't wait to see the expression on his face when he meets all the kittens! <Grin!> A Dream -- A Memory An evening wedding... The bride is short... someone whom I hadn't seen in over a decade and a half... a cousin. The groom... someone I've never met before. Is he good enough for her? I don't know. Another of my cousins seems to think so. I know the bride has had a hard life. Her mother and my uncle separated only a few years after she was born, and she was later molested by her stepfather. I really wish her well. At the wedding, I see several relatives that I haven't seen since I was 14 or 15. It's good to see them. The wedding is held in a fairly large church... at least compared to what I' m used to. I don't remember the religion; it's not important. The bride -- my cousin -- is escorted to the alter by my uncle -- her biological father. She is a truly radiant bride; I can feel the love she has for the groom radiating from her. I'm so incredibly happy for her. I remember my girlfriend back home; the girl I've been with for the past four months. Do I feel the same as they obviously do? No. It's not even close. At that moment, I know it's over between the two of us. We will meet again when I get back to El Paso, and the relationship will die a painful death... And it did. Another Dream -- Another Memory Another wedding... This one between Ken and Kristi. The day before, I help with decorations for the reception. It's not much, but I enjoy helping... especially my brother and sister. That night, we have the bachelor party. This is a party? We play pool at one of the local pool halls for a while -- all fourteen of us. Later, we gather back where many of the cars were left; inside the house is a like number of girls, drinking champagne and working on dresses. The next day at the church, a much smaller wedding. Only 60-80 people; friends, family, neighbors, people from their high school days... I'm not part of the groom's procession, but I don't mind... much. They were all close friends of his for far longer than I was. They were with him in school... and after. I've only known him for three or four years. The bride and groom had been talking about this day for more than a year. They were ready for this day... or were they? The groom and company make jokes about an escape plan with a mythical helicopter waiting outside, and other stuff to keep the crowd at bay while they make their escape. The bride was also ready... or was she? She is escorted out by her stepfather; barely able to hold back the tears of joy she has that this day has finally come. The preacher prays a lot... makes jokes... comments that God is going to have his hands full with these two... "More than you know!" I add out loud without really thinking about it. I feel happiness for these two... my second family... my chosen family. I also feel... profound loneliness. My friend is only in town for this wedding. Kristi is obviously moving in with him near Dallas. My girlfriend -- the only real girlfriend I've ever had; an overweight Hispanic girl with some rather severe emotional problems -- left me shortly after the other wedding, two years before. It was painful, just like I knew it would be. She had asked me what the one thing was that I didn't want to hear from her. I told her that it was that she was back with her ex-boyfriend -- the one who had bruised and abused her. She looked down. It was the final straw of that relationship. She had already gone back to him. What is it with abused women going back to their abusers? I still don't know. When I awoke, I found Kat and Angie snuggled to my sides. The memories of the weddings make me appreciate the kittens that much more. Yes. I love them all that much, and in that way. I'm doing the right thing by them... and with them. I hugged them both so very tightly to me, almost letting out tears of joy from my happiness about the upcoming wedding. The loneliness is truly over. Friday Evening -- Ken Arrives At the airport, I waited for Ken to show up. Kristi wasn't able to get the time off from her job to be here for ten days, so she would be arriving the following Friday. I can't believe it's been three years since I've seen him. I wonder how he' s been doing. <Sigh> Did he even get over that diabetes clone? Looking at my watch, I noticed that it was a few minutes after ten in the evening. Ken's plane was running late. Ken I wonder how he's been doing. From what he described, it must have been interesting... It'll be nice seeing him again. The plane landed a few minutes later. I got my bag and headed out to look for Xanthos. At first, I didn't see him anywhere... then this tall, well-built man with a familiar face walked up with his hand extended and said, "How's it goin', Bro?" Xanthos The look on Ken's face was priceless! I guess I changed my appearance more than I thought when I found that program. Ken "Xanthos? What the...?" I asked, too shocked to really believe the guy in front of me was the person I knew. This guy was about two inches taller than the Xanthos I remembered, and even though Xanthos was never really heavy, he was also never as well-built as the guy in front of me either. He chuckled lightly and said, "I told you you wouldn't believe me. Any more luggage, or is this it?" "Just this bag." "Great. Let's get going. Have you eaten yet?" "No. It was a bit of a rush getting to the airport," I replied. We headed outside to his car. "Nice car," I commented when we got to his blue Lexus. "A bit showy though, isn't it?" "Not really. I could have bought a Lamborghini or Porsche, but I didn't feel like having to carry an armed guard with me everywhere I went." I had to laugh at that. "Good point." "Besides, between the 300 horses and the way the car rides, I thought this would be a better alternative." "True. Now, let's find something to eat." I chuckled and we headed out. Xanthos After we grabbed a light dinner, (at a local burger joint -- his idea) we headed north. "How have you and Kristi been doing?" I asked. "We're doing great. We moved into our own house last year, and now we have a baby on the way," he replied. "That's great! Congratulations!" "Thanks." "When is the baby due?" "Halloween," he replied. I chuckled and said, "Be careful or you'll end up having him on my birthday." Ken chuckled a bit at that. We were getting close to the castle, so I said, "I should warn you; you're in for a few surprises tonight." "You mean besides the fact that you've obviously been working out quite a bit -- which in itself is unusual for you -- and you seem to have grown another couple of inches?" Ken commented. I pulled a slight grin and replied, "It's been a very strange three years. You'll see when we get to the castle... but just remember that I did warn you." Ken chuckled and said, "Okay, now what do you mean 'castle'?" "You know how they say 'your home is your castle'... Well, in this case, my home is a castle -- at least on the outside." I decided to change the subject a bit. "How's that diabetes clone doing?" "Still there. The doctors never did figure out what the deal was... and the medicine they had me on to boost my insulin efficiency ended up doing more harm than good." "Sorry to hear that. Maybe something new will come along soon," I replied, grinning to myself. A minute later, I used my remote to open the main gate at the castle as I was pulling up. "Welcome to Castle Pendragon. There are surprises around every corner, and I think you'll enjoy your stay," I said with a broad grin. Ken At first I thought he was joking about "Castle Pendragon", but as we passed the main gait, I saw the gate's "guardians"; two HUGE stone knights on horseback. The horses had to be a good two to three feet taller at the shoulder than the world had ever seen in King Arthur's days. The knights themselves had to be a good eight-feet tall. Shortly past that, I noticed his "Castle". That's exactly what it was... at least from the outside. The castle was bout 30 to 35 feet tall, with a large metal portcullis at the front entry, which Xanthos confirmed was made of iron and was fully functional. Looking at the outer walls, which were well lit by the castle's outdoor lighting, it seemed that the walls were actually made of stone. I had visited a few real castles during trips to Ireland and Germany, so I knew how good of a job had been done making this one look real. Xanthos I pulled into one of my spots in the southern garage and we got out. (With the number of people and cars in this household, it made sense to have separate garages on the north and south sides of the house with seven spaces in each. From the road, you only see the front of the castle -- and then, only from certain angles.) "I see what you meant about this being a castle. It must be impressive during the day," Ken commented. "Think you've got enough cars though?" I grinned a bit in response and grabbed his bag from the trunk. "Come on in, I'll show you around some." I showed him around a good part of the ground floor, covering almost everything except the vault and the gym/pool area. Ken spotted the odd door on the vault and decided to ask about it. "That's a rather strange looking door... What is that? Some sort of high-security door?" "Very high security. Palm-print and pass-code via a hidden keypad," I explained. "That room's basically a top-level vault where I keep servers for my company and the castle... and some other stuff." "Top-level? Any room can be broken into -- when someone wants to bad enough." "Maybe, but between the castle's outer walls and the custom walls on the vault, I'd almost bet that it would survive a major A-10 strike." "That's a bit of an exaggeration, isn't it?" he asked. "Not at all. The castle's outer walls are double-depth cinder blocks that are all concrete backfilled and rebar-reinforced. There's also the concrete faux-stone cladding. On top of that, this room is completely surrounded by a 12" thick, pre-stressed, rebar-reinforced, concrete wall. It even has a couple of layers of carbide shot that make it drill-proof." Ken's jaw was dragging the ground a bit as he stared wide-eyed at me, shaking his head. "Don't worry. It's not as over-kill as you think. Like I said, there are other things in there too; some of which, people would kill for." "If you say so," he said, still shaking his head. "Come on. It's time to meet the rest of the household," I said, leading him to the 75'x25' indoor swimming pool on the west side of the castle. It's a good thing I told the kittens to all wear their swimsuits and to behave themselves; I'm not too sure about how well how Ken would have handled their normal activities. <Grin> Ken We headed down a hallway toward the back of the house. At the end of the hall were three doors. To the right, a large steam room; directly ahead, a nicely equipped gym; and to the left, a large indoor pool, hot-tub, and sitting area... and eight gorgeous women in devastating bikinis or worse, ranging in age from around twenty to very early thirties. Whoa! This is the rest of his household? I can't wait to hear the explanation for this! Xanthos The look on Ken's face as he laid eyes on the kittens was that of pure shock. I'm sure he wasn't expecting anything like what he encountered. No doubt, part of his surprise came from the fact that he'd met the only other girlfriend I'd had before he and Kristi got married. Thank god I found Master Control! "You okay?" I asked him. Ken shook himself out of his shock as the kittens giggled and grinned back at him. "Yeah. Sorry." "You didn't tell us your friend was so handsome," Tif commented. I knew she was just teasing us, so it didn't bother me. "No, but I did mention that he's married," I replied. "And somehow, I don't think Kristi would be willing to share," I finished, grinning. Ken just looked back and forth between us with a raised brow, trying to figure out what was going on. The kittens all gathered in pairs for introductions, each with their arm around the other -- except for Mei and Laura. "Ken, this is Tiffany and Amy," pointing to the blonde who had just been speaking and her brunette partner; "Melissa and Anna," pointing to the Hispanic and Oriental pair; "Kat and Angie," pointing to the young brunette and redhead pair; "and Laura and Mei," finishing with Angie's mom and the Oriental lady from California. Ken greeted them all, receiving hugs and greetings from each of them. It was rather obvious that Ken was feeling a bit overwhelmed. I'm sure it had been several years -- at least -- since he encountered a group of women this attractive outside of a topless bar -- or this high of class -- if ever. It also looked like some of the kittens were getting a bit eager for their evening activities, so I showed Ken to one of the guestrooms on the second floor. As we were walking, he just kept shaking his head to himself. "A bit overwhelming, isn't it?" I commented. Ken looked back at me with a raised brow and replied, "A bit? You always did like understatements, didn't you?" I chuckled and replied, "Just a tad." "Was one of those ladies your fianc e?" "No... All of them are." That stopped him dead in his tracks. "Do you remember the big uproar last October and November when the states and most of the churches approved plural marriages?" I asked. "Of course. Kristi told me not to get any bright ideas," he replied. I chuckled and said, "Think of this as several interwoven marriages. The kittens are all strongly bisexual, and are -- for the most part -- connected much the way you met them. I'll be married to all of them, and they'll be married to me and each other in small groups." "How did you ever get involved in something like this? The Xanthos I remember was too shy around women to be able to initiate a relationship with any of them -- never mind all of them -- and the rest of it..." "You're right. I was. Something happened a few months after the last time we saw each other. There were a lot of sudden changes. I already mentioned my helping Bishop; that gave me the money to move out here. Before I moved, I met Lis -- Melissa -- at a grocery store near my house. Over the next couple of weeks, I met and fell in love with all of them except Mei. She was one of Amy's former lovers and joined us shortly after the castle was completed." "That's an incredible tale," Ken said, shaking his head again. "I told you you'd never believe it. In many ways, my entire relationship is impossible to believe -- even for me... but there are things that have happened in the background that completely defy the norms of reality. The changes you see in me are just a minor example." "I don't understand." "No. No one really could," I said thoughtfully. I took a deep breath and slowly let it out. It was time. "Follow me," I said, leading him to the vault. Once there, I said, "I want to show you something, but you can't ever let anyone else know about it. Okay?" "Sure," he replied. I put my hand in the door's recessed cavity to pass the palm-print analyzer, then turned my hand over and entered the pass-code on the hidden keypad. The door unlocked with a heavy "clunk" and I opened it, leading Ken in. Once in with the door closed, I went to my "Master" PC (the system with Master Control on it) and started working through all the layers of security to get into Master Control. As I was working, I asked, "Were you ever a Twilight Zone fan?" "I've seen some of them," he replied. "Do you remember the old episode with the old man with a tape recorder that allowed him to create and alter reality on a whim?" Ken thought about it for a minute, then said, "I think so... He created his own wife, mistress, and an elephant; then destroyed them all by throwing the tape into the fireplace?" "That's the one. Have you ever wondered what you would do if you had something like that?" "No. Why bother? It's not like it could ever really happen." "Oh? I thought you liked 'Fantasy' stories..." I said, grinning. "I do, but fantasy and real life aren't the same thing. You have to keep them separate." Now that I was logged in, I pulled Ken up in the machine. Subject: Ken Jones "Sometimes, something comes along that completely blows your perception of reality," I said, pointing to his image on the screen. Ken Looking at the flat-screen he was working at, I noticed a picture of me spinning around. At first, I thought it was some sort of computer trick using some cameras scattered around the room, but quickly decided that wasn't it. Taking a closer look at the screen, I noticed a good amount of detailed information that Xanthos couldn't have possibly gotten about me that was -- surprisingly -- correct. Xanthos "A few weeks before I moved, I found one of those reality destroyers -- or, in this case, reality alterers," I explained "You're not making sense." "I think a small demonstration is in order," I said. I explained EVERYTHING I was doing as I went. As I said, I love Ken as a very close brother. He deserved nothing less. Command: Restore all teeth, bones, and muscles to perfect color, condition, and health <Send> Command: Eliminate any diseases, tumors, or genetic defects <Send> Command: Make this person immune to all diseases <Send> Command: Correct vision to perfect for all distances, and fix any color-blindness <Send> Command: Completely undo all damage and defects to all internal organs <Send> (This fixed the diabetes clone) Command: Eliminate all allergies <Send> Even though I thoroughly trusted Ken, I couldn't take any chances, so I did a modified version of my 'Understanding' macro. Ken understood why, and gave me his permission before I proceeded. Command: You will have no desire whatsoever to use any of Xanthos' s computers, and you will never use the program called "Master" without Xanthos's specific instruction <Send> Command: You cannot tell anyone about Xanthos's or his computers' abilities to change people, and you have no desire to do so. <Send> When I finished (and he'd removed his contacts), he said, "Damn! Is there anything this thing can't do?" "Not much. It's limited in range, but, other than that, it's ungodly powerful. I'm sure you understand why I keep it in a vault like this." Ken rolled his eyes and said, "No doubt. Anyone that knew about it would kill to get their hands on it." "Exactly." "Where'd you find it?" "In the absolute worst place possible," I replied. Ken looked puzzled at that. "On the internet, in a public news-group." Ken had the expected reaction so I explained the stuff I'd gone through to try to eliminate any copies floating around. I also added a password to his "identity" so no one else could make changes to him. When I finished adding the password, I looked back at Ken again. He had a frown on his face as he stared at me, then glanced in the direction of the kittens, then back again. He didn't have to say it; I knew exactly what he was thinking. I let out a sigh and said, "Yes -- but only in the beginning. I've removed the bulk of the controls I had on them. The only ones left keep them from using this system and program and from being jealous of each other. They also can't reveal its existence or what I can -- or have -- done." "What have you done with it?" "Other than some potentially excessive safety measures, mainly minor body alterations," I explained. "Like the ones on you?" "That too. Usually, it's things like the medical improvements I did for you, making a person taller, the occasional increase in breast size," then I grinned and continued, "slowing down -- or reversing -- the aging process..." Ken was more than a little bit shocked at that last comment. "You remember Laura? The redhead that looked just a little younger than me?" Ken nodded. "She's actually Angie's mother. She was also 54 when I met her. We were already in love with each other when I decided to give her a gift." Ken shook his head in wonder, then remembered the subject I had distracted him from. "But still, you used this thing to control people." I took a moment to gather my thoughts, then went about giving him a rather lengthy -- and detailed -- history of everything that happened between the moment I found the program to when I met Lis -- my first kitten -- through just after Mei -- the last kitten -- moving in; explaining all of the conflicts and discovery that I'd gone through with the program. By the time I was finished, he seemed convinced that everything was okay. Then I mentioned that I was the one responsible for the outbreak of plural-wedding legalizations near the end of last year. After his initial shock, we had a good laugh over all the stuff that had happened because of it. It was two in the morning before we noticed how late it was getting. After departing the vault, I escorted him upstairs to one of the large guestrooms. (The Large bedrooms are all 20' wide by 30' deep with their own built-in, open bathroom. There are also smaller guest bedrooms that are essentially full-sized rooms split in half with a shared bathroom.) I walked in with him and showed him around, getting a frequent look of disbelief as we went. As I was getting ready to leave, I told him not to worry about making noises because the entire castle was heavily soundproofed. I bid him a good night, then went to my bedroom where Tif and Amy were in bed, waiting for me. Saturday Morning I woke up a few minutes after ten to find Tif and Amy near the end a light session together. They were still in a 69 on their sides, and within a minute or so, both had gentle orgasms. When they finally noticed that I was awake and watching them, Tif said, "I'm sorry, we didn't mean to wake you." "I don't think you did; but it's still a wonderful sight to awaken to," I replied with a pleasant smile. We all headed to the bathroom for a shower -- and other normal, daily activities -- then Tif and Amy donned robes and headed to their rooms so we could all get dressed. (The robes were because of our houseguest.) When I got downstairs, I found Ken in the dining room having breakfast (Monte Cristos and orange juice) with several of the kittens. They all seemed to be getting along rather well together... but knowing Ken and the kittens, that's VERY easy to understand! Ken always did have a knack for making friends -- especially with girls... and women. Tif and Amy came down behind me and we joined the others for breakfast. "I received a phone call yesterday," Tif commented in my direction. "Oh?" "Kira is flying in for the wedding," she replied. "That's nice. It'll be interesting seeing her again," I commented. After breakfast, I showed Ken around the estate. "Nice estate. I see you still like big cats," Ken commented, seeing several of the panther and tiger sculptures scattered around. "Thanks. I had them done when the castle was started." "Kristi will love these." I chuckled and said, "If you've got room back home, I can get you a couple." Ken rolled his eyes and accused, "You would, wouldn't you?" "Look. You know full well that I like giving gifts. If I can make someone happy just by spending a little bit of money, why shouldn't I? Besides, these aren't that expensive to me anymore," I explained. "Not that expensive?!?" he exclaimed in surprise. "The kittens and I can live very well off of my company's income. Add in what I have in various accounts and... well... money is not a concern." "Looking at this place, I could almost believe that; but money is always a concern to some extent." I let out a sigh and explained it to him in fairly simple terms. "Ken. Before I moved here, I took a VERY significant notch out of the drug trade in El Paso. Not only did I put the bulk of El Paso's 'Most Wanted' in jail, but all of its and other areas' drug dealers were worse than bankrupt too. My net worth now is well within the eleven-digit range. Money is NOT a concern!" "Eleven digits? That's a ten billion dollars!!!" he gasped. "More like seventy-three. There were a lot more drug lords, dealers, and manufacturers around El Paso, Dallas, and here than you would believe. Fortunately, they're all out of business and either dead or in prison now. What's scary is that I still have this much left after all of the taxes and the donations I make around the country every year." Ken shook his head for a moment, then said, "Okay... Maybe you're right... but I still wish you wouldn't spend so much on us." <Heh> "Be grateful I don't just write you a check for ten mil. -- Damn... THAT sounds weird!" Ken just shook his head. A few minutes later, we were at the tropical waterfall area, which was where the wedding would be held. "So, how do you like this area?" I asked. "It's beautiful. I almost expect to see a deer or some cockatiels in the area," he replied, looking around. I chuckled and, with a grin, commented, "Unfortunately, I don't think having that kind of wildlife out loose on my property that would go over too well with the local government -- as if that were really a problem anyway." Ken agreed. "This is where we're having the wedding," I commented. "This isn't that large of an area. How many guests are there?" he asked. "Less than 50. We're keeping it small and private -- mostly just close family and a few friends -- about five people each on average." "Fifty people, and none of them mind multiple weddings?" he asked, a bit surprised. Letting out another sigh, I gently explained, "Normally, I don't go for wholesale modifications to large groups of people... but where my friends and family's safety and happiness are concerned, I'm more than willing to make certain exceptions, though -- even then -- I usually prefer to keep changes as minimal as possible. Besides, there's no point in having anyone spoil such a happy occasion." Ken grudgingly agreed with that. We went on to discuss the actual details for a while before returning to the castle for a late lunch and a nice swim. "I can't believe how beautiful all of your fianc es are," Ken commented. I laughed and replied, "What's scary is that -- for the most part -- they're all natural. There are a couple of minor breast enhancements and the one age reduction I mentioned, but that's about it." "Incredible." "Agreed. You are lucky though... I told them all to behave themselves and to wear at least a swimsuit when you're around." Ken chuckled at that. "Normally, it's not unusual to see several of them walking around nude or having sex in various places." "Damn, Xanthos! Are you sure you know what you're getting yourself into?" he asked, still chuckling. I chuckled too, and cheerfully said, "Yep, and I couldn't be happier!" "What about children?" he asked. "That question has already been brought up," I said with a grin. "Some of the kittens want one or two soon, but the others want to wait a while. Fortunately, I can turn some of those large guest rooms into two or three bedrooms each." "I believe it! The one I'm in is Huge!" he commented. "20' wide by 30' deep. Plenty of room for kids." "I agree, though the rooms will look a bit odd if you keep those incredibly high ceilings." I nodded in agreement. "I've seen bedroom layouts before where the bed was set up in a loft above the floor area. When the kids get old enough, I'll probably end up doing something like that for them." "Sounds interesting," he commented. "You should see some of the other bedrooms up there. Each one was custom-made for the person staying in it." Ken shook his head for a moment, then said, "I'm almost surprised you don't have everyone sleeping in the same room." "No intimacy. You, above all, should know that," I commented, referring to his very active youth. "Besides, this way, everyone has their own private area and bath. Plus, it adds variety to the sleeping arrangements," I finished with a grin. Ken chuckled at that, agreeing. Continuing our tour, we came up on the other large waterfall feature. "This looks familiar," Ken commented. "It should. I based it on the water park in Fort Worth." Ken nodded, remembering one of his own visits there. "I thought so. I've been meaning to go there again, but haven't gotten around to it." After enjoying the scenery for a while, we headed back toward the castle. "Quite a paradise you have here," Ken commented. I smiled at that. "Thanks. I'm glad you can appreciate my tastes." Ken started chuckling at that, then grimaced a bit as it turned into a full belly-laugh. When we came to the wood shop, I motioned him inside to show him around some. "What's this?" Ken asked, pointing at a wine rack that was nearly complete. "A wine and champagne rack for the basement," I explained. "I thought you didn't drink alcohol that often." "Normally, I don't, but between the nine of us, we go through enough wine and champagne orange juice that I decided to build a second rack for the basement. If nothing else, it's something to keep me busy." "What else do you make in here?" "Shelves, furniture... stuff for the dungeon... Whatever I feel like." "Dungeon?" I grinned and said, "Some of the kittens like to play a bit, so I made a small dungeon for them. It's another fun diversion." Ken chuckled, shaking his head. "Besides, what is a castle without a dungeon?" I asked, grinning. "Come on. Let's go get ready for dinner." And we went inside. For dinner, we had shrimp from Canada with a good steak and a few other things. It gave Ken and the kittens another chance to get to know each other better. Afterwards, we all went to the hot tub on the second floor and enjoyed the sunset while sharing some wine. That week, I spent a lot of time reconfirming everything about the wedding: flowers, entertainment, catering... everything. Ken helped wherever he could, though that wasn't much. Thank God for all the help I got from Stephanie (Our Chef) and the wedding planner I'd been dealing with. Kira arrived Thursday morning and jumped in to help the Kittens finish getting ready. By the end of the week, everyone's nerves were well frazzled... Then Kristi showed up. Ken and I picked her up at the airport with lots of hugs (and a few kisses between Ken and Kristi) going around. "Welcome to Charlotte, Sis," I said, greeting her. "Xanthos! You look great! How have you been?" she asked me. "Very good," I said with a grin. Ken rolled his eyes and chuckled in agreement. "I see you've been working out!" she commented. "A little bit. It's been an interesting few years." "So, when do I meet the lucky fianc e?" she asked. I chuckled and Ken choked. "What?" she asked, confused. "You're in for a lot of surprises today, so you might want to get ready for them," I warned her. "What do you mean?" she asked. "Wait till we get to my place and you'll understand." As we pulled up, Kristi noticed the guardians I have at the gates. "Wow! Where did you find those?" she asked. "I had them made when I got the castle built." "Castle?" I pointed up the driveway where the castle quickly came into view. "Holy... Um... Is there something you wanted to tell me?" she asked. I chuckled and said, "Besides that fact that I'm richer than Midas? Well... I suppose I should mention my eight fianc es..." Now it was Kristi's turn to choke. When she recovered, she said, "Tell me you're joking!" "He's not," Ken said. "You know," Kristi said, "when the states started allowing multiple marriages, I thought KEN was going to be the one I'd have to worry about." Ken and I exchanged a glance and busted out laughing. "It is a hell of a switch, isn't it," I said. "So, you're actually able to keep up with eight women now?" she asked with a sly grin, causing Ken to choke again. It was odd, because Ken and Kristi didn't normally act like that. "I don't have to." Kristi was rather curious about that, so I explained. "They're all bi." To which her eyes went wide. "You must have changed quite a bit since the last time I saw you," she commented. "More than you can imagine... and less. I got extremely lucky a few years ago. Now, I don't have to worry about money or companionship," I explained. "They aren't after you for your money, are they?" she asked, concerned. "No," I said, smiling. "The week or so during my move over here was a surprise that definitely made up for all the years before." Ken and Kristi smiled at that. "At least you're happier. Ken said you have a new company," Kristi commented. "Yeah. It's in that building over there," I said, pointing to another medieval-style building a short distance from the castle. "One of the kittens is an electronics and management wiz, so I decided to take one of my old toy ideas to market. The company also does electronics consulting for quite a few other companies. It's a nice distraction." "Sounds interesting," she said. "It is. I let Tiffany run it, for the most part, and three of the other kittens also work for it." "Kittens?" she asked. "My nickname for my fianc es. They seem to like it," I said. "And I suppose you're the tomcat." I chuckled at that. "I guess you could say that." We were pulling into the garage at that point. "Wait till you see the inside of this place," Ken said, changing the subject. "Why? Is it as gothic as the outside?" she asked. "No... Let's just say that he's developed some interesting tastes," Ken commented. "Thanks," I said with a grin. "I like it." As we carried Kristi's overnight bag upstairs, she looked around with an overwhelmed look on her face. "Impressive," she commented as we headed up the stairs. "Wait till you see the guestroom," Ken told her. She raised her brows a bit at that, but when I opened the bedroom door, she almost went into shock. "Big enough for you?" I asked with a grin. "When you get carried away, you really get carried away!" she said. I chuckled at that. "Come on. Time to meet the kittens." We put her bags in the room, then went down to the living room. As we were going down the stairs, Kristi asked, "Aren't you supposed to be having a bachelor's party?" "There's no point. If I was separated from them, most of them would have to be kept apart too," I replied. "What do you mean?" she asked. "Like I said, they're bi. Most of them are also marrying each other at the same time tomorrow." It took her a moment to compose herself, and by the time she did, we were in the living room where the kittens were all sitting around partying and sipping wine. "Hey! They're here!" Angie called out... obviously buzzed. We joined them, and before long, everyone was getting along famously. It ended up being a late night for all of us. No More Being Single Ken walked in. "Are you ready?" he asked. In the background, I could still hear Jethro Tull walking around, playing a mix of light minstrel music. (It's nice being able to pay for a custom, private concert whenever you want. <Grin!> ) I chuckled nervously and said, "Yeah. Might as well be. I don't know why I 'm so nervous though. I should be ready for this." "I know what you mean. I was the same way at my wedding." "I remember. Escape plans and everything." Ken nodded. "Are the kittens ready?" I asked him. "Yes. You know, this is probably the most unusual wedding I've ever seen." "I don't doubt it. Considering some of your friends though..." "I know. Even theirs didn't compare to this one though." I nodded. Not being a great lover of religious ceremonies, I wanted the wedding to be fairly unconventional, and I think I succeeded rather well. Kathryn, one of the local judges, was a fairly attractive woman in her early forties. I managed to talk her into doing this wedding, and I didn't even have to use my program to do it. <Grin> It turned out that she loved the idea I'd had to make this one a bit unusual and was able to add some suggestions of her own to make the wedding even more beautiful. Instead of normal roses, I raided most of the flower providers in the eastern half of the US for all of the orchids I could get my hands on. In fact, the landscape was COVERED in orchids -- especially black orchids -- and Lavonda roses. It was time for us to begin. All of the guests were gathered, and Ian Anderson started playing a slightly upbeat -- but still haunting -- "Wedding March" on his new platinum flute. (He didn't know it yet, but he already had his singing voice restored to its full range and glory before the wedding started. It's weird having a musical group that is about as old as I am that is still around doing concerts.) Kathryn was standing near the water's edge, waiting for us, wearing her new diaphanous gown specially made for this occasion. Each of the kittens was dressed in some way that was suggestive of their heritage, in silk gowns ranging in styles from togas to kimonos to dresses from the Camelot period. Each by herself was a true inspiration of beauty. Together, they were almost too much for any mortal to witness. There were quite a few gasps from the audience as we came into view, and it wasn't because of the relationships. If my heart hadn't already been taken by their love and beauty, it would be now. My background is such a mix that I could have gotten away with almost anything. In fact, I'd had a very difficult time deciding what to wear, often juggling between styles that weren't even included in my heritage. In the end, I chose to wear the Renaissance garb of a Duke. Besides, it kind of went with the castle. <Grin> I could tell that the kittens all felt about the same as I did. They all glowed in a way that you don't see too often. It was obvious that most were just barely holding themselves together... though Kat, Tiffany, and Laura were all ready to break down in tears of joy again. Ken and I escorted the kittens out in matched pairs, leaving them at the front only to return with another pair. We repeated that until all eight of them were there, then I stayed with the kittens while Ken took a seat nearby. "Milord and Ladies," Kathryn formally said, bowing to us, once we were all gathered before her. We responded with a bow of our own; then the ceremony began. Kathryn started. "We are gathered here today before God, family, and friends to bear witness to some truly remarkable unions, between Xanthos Pendragon, Melissa Ruiz, Anna Li, Angela Lovewell, Katrina Kosonen, Laura Richardson, Tiffany Jacobs, Amy Weaver, and Mei Lin. The things that make this union so remarkable are not necessarily what you would expect, for each person before you understands that you can love more than one person at the same time. Unlike the Mormons of old, this wedding is not between one man and eight women; rather, it is a variety of unions between groups of women and a man. "Where others choose to tie themselves together, those before you have chosen to weave themselves together in a much tighter bond than most could conceive of. "Where many people have found that special love for another in their lifetime, those before you have been truly blessed with the understanding that a person can have more than one true love in their heart at the same time. Beyond that, they have the incredible luck to know that kind of love and are able to share it without the shackles of jealousy. "In order to recognize this, they have gathered here to weave their hearts together in holy matrimony. "If anyone here has good reason as to why these people should not be so wed, let them speak now or forever hold their piece." After pausing for a moment, Kathryn continued. "Then we shall begin." Kathryn turned back to our group. "Do you, Melissa Juanita Ruiz, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, to share with his other wives, and to cherish for all time and eternity? Do you also promise never to be jealous of the love he shares, not only with you, but with others as well?" "I do," Lis replied. The same vow was repeated for each of the kittens in turn, then it came back to me. "Do you, Xanthos Pendragon, take these women to be your lawfully wedded wives, to have and to hold, to share among each other, and to cherish and protect for all time and eternity?" "I do," I firmly (almost forcefully) replied. "I now pronounce you man and wives. As you have all decided to make this your primary relationship, you are now known as Mr. and Mrs. Pendragon. You may now kiss your brides -- before we continue," Kathryn announced. With that, I shared kisses with each of my brides. Then we continued with the next grouping. "Do you, Mei, take Amy to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, to share without jealousy, and to cherish for all time and eternity?" "I do," Mei replied. "Do you, Amy, take Mei to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, to share without jealousy, and to cherish for all time and eternity?" "I do," Amy replied. And so it went throughout all of the groupings; Amy married Mei, Kat, and Tif; Kat married Angie and Amy; Lis married Anna; and I married them all. Once the final pairings were made, Kathryn continued, "I understand special rings have been made to symbolize this unique bonding." Ken brought out the special box containing the ring-sets and gave it to Kathryn. Turning to the North, Kathryn said, "We ask the North to bless these rings with the gifts of growth and prosperity." Then she turned to the East, and continued, "We ask the East to bless these rings with the gifts of knowledge and intuition." To the South, "We ask the South to bless these rings with the gifts of purification and healing." And to the West, "We ask the West to bless these rings with the gifts of love and courage." Once the blessing of the rings was complete, we got to another interesting part. The rings were designed so that the pair of birthstones on the wedding ring would fit snuggly against the diamond on the engagement ring -- or its adjacent birthstone. The further from the center the wedding ring was, the more its stones were spread and offset, so that when combined, a progressively larger ring was formed. Unfortunately, for the ring-set to be assembled, the engagement ring first had to be removed. We started with Melissa's ring first. She removed the engagement ring, then Anna took her ring from its slot in the box and placed it on Melissa's ring finger, then Melissa put her engagement ring back on, locking it in place with Melissa's ring, then I placed my wedding ring on her finger, with its stones between Melissa's and the diamond. This procedure was repeated for each of the kittens, though Kat, Amy, and I had more rings than any of the others. (Kat had four rings, Amy had five rings, and I had eight rings. (No engagement ring.)) Each time one of us put our ring on a partner's finger, we exchanged kisses. All told, there were a total of 33 rings between the nine of us. Once the last ring was complete and the last kiss was exchanged, we formed a tight circle, facing each other, with Kathryn standing in the center. We linked our hands with our neighbors'; each of us crossing our arms and grasping our neighbor's left hand with our right. To our audience, she said, "I invite you all in blessing these unions. Please take a few moments now to look inside yourself and find the divinity that resides within you." After pausing for a few moments, she continued. "Feel the love that dwells there. Now gather that love within your heart, and send it forth to bless the people in this circle." Turning to the North, she continued. "As we look to the North, we ask the Earth to provide rock for your foundation and soil for your growth." Turning to the East, "As we look to the East, we ask the Air to bring you the breath of life and the freedom of the eagle." To the South, "As we look to the South, we ask the Fire to burn a part of the old selves as fuel for a new united self." To the West, "As we look to the West, we ask the Water to give you the strength of the waves and the fertility of the rivers and the ocean." After another pause, she continued. "Those before you have made their solemn vows to each other, before God and in the presence of their family and friends. Therefore, by the power invested in me, I now proclaim they are husband and wives. Those whom God has joined together let no one separate." And we all kissed once again. Finally, Kathryn closed the ceremony with, "May God bless you in your work and your companionship; in your sleeping and in your waking. May you have true friends and family to stand by you in your joys and in your sorrows; in your life and in your death. God goes before you. Live boldly, celebrate, and sing!" After many congratulations and thank-yous to (and from) everyone involved, we moved to the reception dinner that was set up in the large garden area behind the castle. My God, the Cake and Food we went through! It's a good thing I had Stephanie plan that part of the wedding! It turned out that she had to hire quite a bit of outside help to get everything ready for the dinner. Sometime around midnight, the party finally came to a close. The last of the guests left, and the caterers started cleaning up. As for us, we went back to the castle and spent the night playing musical beds until dawn came and everyone fell asleep, exhausted. Somehow, I managed to wake up early enough to drive Ken and Kristi back to the airport. "I really appreciate your coming," I said as we drove along. "I wouldn't have missed it," Ken replied. "Me neither. How does it feel being married to eight women?" Kristi added. "Incredible. It's the most wonderful feeling ever." They both laughed, then Ken said, "So, what happens now?" "The kittens and I are all leaving for an extended honeymoon. We should be back in about three or four weeks." "Oh? Where are you going?" Kristi asked. "Ireland, England, Finland, Sweden, and a few other places," I replied. "Wow! Now THAT is a Honeymoon!" Kristi said. "No kidding!" Ken agreed. "I wish we could afford to go on a trip like that!" I grinned my half-grin and said, "Be careful what you wish for." Then, thinking about it for a moment, I continued, "Actually..." Ken saw the glint in my eyes and interrupted me. "Forget it." "Forget what?" Kristi asked. "We've already had this discussion, Ken. If I can make my friends happy, why shouldn't I?" I asked. "Forget it," he said again, less forcefully this time. "Would someone mind explaining what you two are arguing about?" Kristi asked. "Xanthos is thinking about giving us some expensive gift, and I've already told him my feelings about that," Ken explained to her while giving me a dirty look. I shook my head, chuckling at him. Kristi nodded and said, "He's right Xanthos. The tiger statues were too much as it is. I don't think I could really accept anything else." "Good," I said. "Then maybe you'll be able to make better use of this gift. When you get back to Dallas, find a very good money manager." "What?" Ken asked, stunned. "I'm going to make a small trust for you two. After all, there's no point in having a bunch of money if you can't share the wealth," I explained. "Xanthos, we really don't want your money," Ken started. Kristi was about to jump in, no doubt agreeing with Ken, when I said, "That' s the point. Real friends wouldn't want the money. That's part of why I'm giving it to you. Besides, there's no point in not having money. Nothing says you have to act or do anything different. Look at it this way; you'll be able to do almost anything you want -- whenever you want. That includes work. Now you'll be able to work and do things because you want to -- not because you have to." "I'd still rather not," Ken said. "That's fine. If nothing else, just leave the money alone and use the interest as a supplement to your income," I suggested. Ken and Kristi exchanged a look, then Ken reluctantly said, "I guess we can do that." "Good. Now that that's over with, I have one last request," I said as we pulled into the airport. "What's that?" Ken asked in a 'What now?' voice. "Keep in touch." That broke the tension. Ken and Kristi both relaxed and said they would. We pulled up to the curb and they got their luggage out, then we shared a tight hug before they took off to catch their flight. Once I got home, I called my money manager at his house and told him to get the paperwork started for Ken and Kristi's new trust fund. I can't wait to hear from Ken when he finds out that he's getting 100 mil instead of 10. <Grin!!!> This *was* to be continued in "The Honeymoon" -- but I doubt I'll be doing much more writing. I am working with another author on an addendum or two that will be cross-overs between our drastically differing universes, but those will likely appear on our sites shortly after this story is posted, so stay tuned. On other notes, I would like to thank all of you who have chosen to join me on my journey through this story. I have truly enjoyed writing most of it - even the parts that were left on the cutting-room floor. Throughout the story, you have seen a significant amount of what makes me tick. I hope you weren't disappointed. The only regret I have about the story is that I might have grown a little too close to some of the characters. Since most are loosely based upon certain living people, that closeness can become that much more painful knowing that those people are not really like the characters in this story. Que sera, sera. Anyway, thank you once again, and may you all fare well. Xanthos.p@home.com -- Pursuant to the Berne Convention, this work is copyright with all rights reserved by its author unless explicitly indicated. +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | alt.sex.stories.moderated ----- send stories to: <ckought69@hotmail.com> | | FAQ: <http://assm.asstr-mirror.org/faq.html> Moderator: <story-ckought69@hotmail.com> | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |Archive: <http://assm.asstr-mirror.org> Hosted by Alt.Sex.Stories Text Repository | |<http://www.asstr-mirror.org>, an entity supported entirely by donations. | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+