Daniel could only stare at her, trying to digest the words.

“Bitty explained what has happened. You are someone very, very important to the gnomes now. Gnomes everywhere will know you immediately. Something to do with how the curse was broken. They are indebted to you, she says."

Daniel shook his head. "No, no, no! I won't accept that!"

Amy nodded sadly. "We told her that. She doesn't see it that way.

Give it time, Daniel. They need to adjust. They've only just been freed. For some, it will be hard. For those people owning gnomes, there will be anger. Punishments. Bad things will happen. The entire city is in an uproar. Probably across the country, too."

Daniel gawked at her. "Shit."

"Yeah, shit. But..."

Daniel grabbed at the but. "But? But what? Tell me."

"There will be many people looking to blame someone. They'll look for whoever removed the curse. Bitty says the gnomes all know what happened. But they will guard the secret. She says we can trust them and that they'll never tell. And we can't let people know what we did, either. Bitty says it's chaos out there. Many gnomes have already been killed by angry former masters.

"The bad news is everyone knows whatever happened was centred here in the city. But Amber says we can use a ritual. To influence things, she says. It might keep any focus off us. She says it needs to be soon. Like, tonight."

Amber looked angry and shot a look at Amy.

Daniel ran a hand down his face and blew out air. "Okay, a ritual, Cool. But I will accept no one being enslaved or tied to me. Never"

He looked at Bitty, and she cast her eyes down. “Bitty. Look at me.

He waited until she did. "I don't own you. I freed you. And perhaps that comes with some responsibility from me, so I'll take care of you until you figure things out, okay?"

Bitty nodded, but a tear escaped and tracked down her cheek. Daniel wiped it away with a thumb.

"I'll pay you. It's the least we can do, right, ladies?"

The ladies, even Amber, nodded, all eyes on Bitty.

Bitty sniffled. "Since I was the one you broke the curse on, I am forever tied to you, mas... Daniel." She paused and smiled briefly.

"That cannot be helped. I will now always be the one to speak for the gnomes. This was decided generations ago. It was always believed, prophesied, that whoever removed the curse would be powerful. An impossible force. We decided we would protect that person, should the curse be lifted by their hand. The first gnome on whom he broke the curse would be his conduit to the other gnomes. That is now me. I am your Emissary. Already the leaders of the gnomes across the land are coming here. They will wish to speak to you. And with me. What you did, the size of your... thing, how you made me..."

"Cum," added Jasmine, helpfully, grinning.

Bitty nodded. "That, yes. Already the story is spreading across the land. Our joy has no bounds. The pleasure of the orgasm is more than we ever imagined. It is overwhelming. Some are lost in it, endlessly fornicating." She smiled a sad smile.

Daniel frowned. “That doesn't sound good. It also sounds unlikely.

How could all the gnomes be coming here? It only just happened."

Bitty shook her head. "There are ways. Gnomes know much. We call it Science. Believe me, the tale has been told accurately across the land. It is the way of gnomes. Especially something of this magnitude.