Read Nightlord: Orb for Free Online Page B

Or, people rather predictably dying.  But Kelvin?  Kelvin seemed like he would be there forever.
    With a sharp, sudden pang, I realized I was going to miss him.
    T’yl was still talking, going on about Lissette and other ladies the Demon King had, well, had.
    “Hold on a second,” I interrupted.  “Is Lissette still running the place? I know most people think poorly of women in authority.”
    “And quite rightly,” T’yl agreed.  “Weak, vaporish creatures for the most part.  Your Lissette does not seem too bad, though, as she listens to her advisors—mostly Thomen, but Malana and Malena, as well, with some others I doubt you know.  And after what happened to the entire family of Prince Thelos, no one wishes to disobey her and risk the king’s wrath.  He rather enjoys a bit of rebellion from the noble families, I think.  It gives him an excuse to do even more terrible things.”
    I decided I didn’t want to know what happened to Prince Thelos’ family.
    “Fair enough.  What else can you tell me?”
    “Oh!  You’re a father.  Liam is your eldest son and is a fine boy.”
    “Eldest?” I echoed.  I’m a mountain full of caves.  I can do that.
    “By Lissette, you have four children with a fifth one due soon.”
    “Hold it.  By Lissette?  How many kids do I have?  That is, how many children has my body helped to generate?”
    T’yl frowned, thinking.  It must have been a heck of a frown; I saw it clearly.  It colored and shaped his whole being.
    “I’m not sure I know,” he admitted.  “In addition to Lissette’s children, I know for certain you sired the twins by Malana and the twins by Malena.”  He started counting on his fingers.  “Seretta has a daughter.  Duke Banler’s second daughter, Rialla, has had two sons—she’s beautiful and seems to know how to please you.  Him, I mean.  Reena has two daughters and a son—another of your favorites.  His favorites.  Those I’m certain of.  Then there are the various commoners who caught his eye or were summoned for a night of pleasure.  I am not sure there is a count of those—I would have to consult with Torvil and Kammen.  They did most of the procuring, at the King’s order.”
    Animal passions may not necessarily be part of the darker nature of mankind, but the inability to control them certainly is.
    “I get the impression he’s been busy.”
    “One could say that,” T’yl allowed.  “It’s one of the things that hasn’t sat well with the subjects, noble and common alike.  Immortality or no, your face has been impressed into the very fabric of the world.”
    “I imagine.”  I was still trying to wrap my head around… what?  Twenty-ish kids?  Or more?  If it was one every day for ten years, for example, that’s potentially over three thousand kids!  Talk about your deadbeat dads… If my darker nature wasn’t going to tolerate abstinence, hopefully it at least indulged in a little contraception!  It’s not like I don’t have spells and powers easily capable of that!
    I’m a father.  Sort of.  Again.  Multiple times.  I’m the genetic contributor for a least a couple dozen kids, maybe a couple thousand.  It’s like donating at a sperm bank and finding out they made a clerical error and gave your samples to everybody .
    I’m really not sure how to feel about that.  I know I’m not happy about the royal authority being corrupted into a license to turn the kingdom in the royal harem.  Can I fix that?  Is there anything that can fix that?  I doubt it.  I’m not even sure there’s a way to make adequate reparations and apologies.
    So I segued into another subject.  I’m good at distracting myself, rationalizing, and outright denial.  I practice.  Probably more than I should.
    “Speaking of my children, how is Amber?”
    “Still burning brightly,” T’yl assured me.  “She speaks for the Mother of Flame in the Temple of Mochara.  So far, your other self has found excuses not