Chosen Bride of the Seven Dark Princes

Candace was in the room doing exercise squats when a series of cascading knocks came through the door.

"Come in. Door's not locked." She called out.

The door slowly opened. A head full of longish dark green hair poked into the room with a pair of soft warm brown eyes peeking out at her.

"Am I interrupting anything?" A soft voice called out. "Can I come in?"

"Hi Jason!" She gave a bright grin and waved him in. "Come in. I was just doing some squats. I didn't get a chance to do any exercises this morning because today was husband-switch day."

"Hus—husband switch day?" Jason's lips twitched as he slowly made his way towards her.

Candace grimaced. "Maybe I shouldn't say it that way. I just didn't know what to call it, you know. The day when I switch from one husband to another."

Jason shook his head. "No, no. That's fine. You can call it whatever you wish. I just—"

"Yes?" She pushed herself off the floor and stood up, staring at him expectantly.

"Candace, you—I mean—we…uhmm."

She strode towards him and reached out to clasp his hands.

"I'm your wife. You can tell me anything."

Jason glanced towards the door.

Candace saw his glance and looked in the direction his eyes were darting at.

"What's out there?" She moved towards the door and yanked it open.

A surprised Jared who'd had his ear plastered to the door's surface nearly fell into the room.

"Or rather, I should say WHO is out there." Candace rolled her eyes and closed the door. "As if I couldn't guess."

The twins stood there, not saying anything. Their normal clownish demeanors were strangely missing.

Candace gave them suspicious looks. Something was a bit off. They weren't normally this…docile.

"So now that you're both here, please have a seat." She indicated the large white leather sofa arrangement by the floor-to-ceiling double glass windows that looked out onto a field of stars in deep space.

On the dark oval coffee table in front of the sofa was a dainty white lily-shaped tea pot with matching cups on small green lily pads. Beside the tea pot was a small bowl filled with pale pink flowers.

It was most definitely a room designed for a High Princess.

Jason and Jared looked at each other and shrugged. They trooped over and sat down, feeling like bulls in a china shop.

"I just got a hot tea service delivered by the bots that roam the hallways. I hope you like lotus green tea."

She kneeled down onto the soft thick white flokati rug that covered the floor between the sofa and the coffee table and began pouring hot tea for each of them.

As she passed the tea cups on their saucers to the twins, they looked at each other nervously and took a sip.

"So. Have the two of you come here to convince me to take both of you in?"

They shot each other furtive glances and nodded.

"At the same time?"

They nodded again.

Candace picked up the lily cup and took a sip of the hot tea. For awhile, she continued to sit there on the thick rug, not saying anything, just thinking.

Finally, she put the cup down.

"I think we can work something out."

The twins' eyes brightened.

"However!" She held up a finger. "You're going to have to work with me and accept a few conditions."

"What would you like for us to do?" Jason put his cup down. Just to get this far was a big win.

"I heard Slate saying that it will take three days to get to Avalia from here."

The twins nodded. They had heard the same thing.

She tapped her lips in thought. "If we go as previously planned, it would not be fair to Jason since after three days onboard this ship, we would arrive within dragon space and I would have to meet up with Mother Gwen and Lyra.

"It could easily be another three to four days of contact with them before I can turn my attention back on Jason, at which point it would most likely be the next husband-switch day."

Jason nodded miserably. "I understand. Things happen sometimes, and it's not within our control."

Candace smiled. "Of course, I would make it up to you as soon as I could."

Jason nodded somberly as he stared into his hands.

"Or the two of you could agree to share days."

Jason and Jared held absolutely still. What did she mean by that?

"Hmmm. Let me break down the days." She poured another round of hot tea for everyone.

"There are fourteen days in two weeks. Let's say all three of us spend three days on the ship together. That takes us down to eleven total days."

Jared looked at Jason.

Candace pursed her lips. "If we're lucky, I can wrap up everything with Mother Gwen and Lyra within three days. That will take us down to eight days."

Jason looked at Jared.

She scratched her head. "But as you know, things rarely ever work out as we plan and hope, so let's throw in another two days to solve Mother Gwen's issues."

Jared nodded at Jason.

She counted on her fingers. "That takes us down to six day. We then have to take the final three days through pirate space to get back home."

Jason nodded at Jared.

"Which brings us down to three final days within the week that belongs to Jared." She held up three remaining fingers.

Jared's eyes darted back and forth between Candace and her three fingers.

"If my calculations are correct, I will only be able to spend nine days total with the two of you. Six of those days will be on the ship, with the remaining three days back on Erenveil.

She bit her lip and looked at the twins.

"I'm sorry Gentlemen. It looks like I'm going to have to ask the two of you to share those nine days between the two of you."

Jason coughed. "How—how do you want us to share it?"

Candace sighed. "It doesn't have to be all that complicated. We could just all hang out together, the three of us. Of course, I know you two were hoping for individual time with me, and I'm sure we could accommodate that—"

"No, no." Jared shook his hand at Candace in protest. "Hanging out together sounds good. Not a problem with me."

"Me neither!" Jason grinned. "We know this is a business trip you have to take, and we're not going to cause any problems. Me and Jared here will just follow you around and be your—"

"Be my husbands." Candace smiled.

"Yes." Jared agreed happily.. "We will be your husbands."