The Vaid Empire

Vaid Empire: Conquest

Chapter 114

20th of Silla, 20 AVE.  

Kingdom of Narok, Arkos-Nu. 

The underground city of Arkos-Nu hung in silence, for the population gathered to watch their king kneel. 

In the heart of the city, where the central street widened into a grand public plaza, human conquerors summoned the Arkos masses. The God Emperor stood upon a platform that had quickly been constructed during the previous day. Flanked by his daughters, heir, and grandchildren, the entirety of House Vaid stood united. 

“Appearances,” Vixin thought to herself as she glanced at the others, remembering her father’s teachings. She kept her hands upon Jinilya’s shoulders to keep the girl under control. As she peered at her father, however, she couldn’t help but look away after a thought of Irith. 

On one side of the platform, King Torakeom waited for his people to gather while he stood surrounded by Privictis Knights. King Galis, Prince Fonax, Queen Regent Quinla, and many of the prominent Lords among the legion, such as Lord Drivis, stood on the other side. 

A thick ring of legionaries circled the platform, holding back the growing crowds. A sea of citizens filled the plaza as Arkos poured in from branching streets and alleyways. Wealthy men and women were mixed with the lowest slave as all came to witness history, watching as their kingdom was consumed by The Vaid Empire. 

Cliax watched the native population, a quiet boy at his mother’s side. Nothing had been capable of luring him from his sorrowful sulking until The God Emperor himself had specifically commanded his presence upon the platform. Though far from returning to the friendly boy he had been, he reluctantly accepted his duty and stood with what remained of his family. 

The Sword of Order slid from its sheath. Dominax lifted it high as he beckoned the Arkos king to approach. The old man obeyed, and as his people watched, he knelt before his conqueror. 

The booming voice of The God Emperor echoed through the vast underground city. “Do you, Torakeom of The Narask Tribe, king of Narok, pledge to serve the imperial throne of The Vaid Empire?” Translators near the platform repeated his words in the Arkos tongue for all to hear. 

Torakeom bowed his head. “On the souls of those that came before me, I do.” 

Gilded statues loomed over the plaza as a king submitted. The God Emperor lowered his sword, pointing its sharp tip at the old man. Torakeom kissed the blade, and the fate of his kingdom was sealed. 

Cliax watched fear and uncertainty wash through the crowds. Their lives had been forever altered by the aims of his grandfather, their fates now resting entirely within his grasp. As he saw the despair upon many of the faces around the platform, he felt a knot form in his stomach. 

“Let this be the beginning of a new era! One of peace between humans and Arkos! May the world look upon the order and stability you enjoy beneath my rule and yearn!” The God Emperor announced to the population, permitting Torakeom to stand. “Turn the fear and dread I sense among you towards the horrid past, for your future is now secure in my hands!” 

Torakeom played his part well, moving to join Dominax’s side as The God Emperor marched forth to the edge of the platform. Whispers echoed through the crowd as they listened. 

“No longer shall you live in fear wondering if your neighbors to the west or south shall finally march to destroy all you know! Bow, submit to my protection, and I shall crush your enemies beneath my boot!” Dominax touched his chest with a sinister grin. “For they are mine as well! Together we shall force the world to kneel, and from our blades shall drip the last drops of Arkos blood spilled in needless war!” 

The gargantuan cave filled with echoing mutters from the crowds. Cliax studied their faces, sensing the smallest flickers of hope among a defeated sea. 

“Your king has seen the wisdom in The Eternal Peace I strive to forge, and thus, he shall continue to rule from his throne as a worthy vassal of The Vaid Empire!” Dominax continued. “May you all learn from his example and discover how far one can rise under my gaze!” 

Torakeom unfolded his hands from his drooping sleeves. Two paths had stood before him, and he had made his choice. With thoughts of the future, of the west, and of the north, he lifted his old hands and shouted, playing his part. “Hail God Emperor Dominax! Hail House Vaid! Hail The Vaid Empire!” 

As the king began to address his people, words dueling with the crowd’s doubts and despair, Dominax left him to his work. He returned to his place in the platform’s center, and while all listened to the king’s speech, he lowered himself to whisper into Cliax’s ear. “Remember this moment well, child. Sense their fear and hate. We stand among a sea of enemies, and a worthy being shall be required to forge them anew into loyal citizens.” 

Cliax quivered at the deep tone of his grandfather’s voice in his ear. As he peered out at the natives, however, he knew he indeed would never forget. Today, Narok independence died. 

22nd of Silla, 20 AVE.  

Kingdom of Narok, Arkos-Nu. 

A prince hid beneath the sheets of his bed, awaiting the end of a long morning and the beginning of an even longer day. Buried beneath silks, Cliax sighed. 

All around stood a blend of human and Arkos furnishing decorating the lavish chamber. His mother and their slaves had done much to turn their personal quarters within the strange palace into something resembling home, though they were hollow efforts. No luxury would hide that someone was missing. 

With an empty pit in his stomach, he blocked out the world until the world came to him. He sensed his mother’s approach. 

“Get up,” Cendra commanded as she entered, marching to his bed. Seizing the sheets, she yanked them away. 

“I don’t want to,” he replied in annoyance, shielding his silver eyes from the sudden light of the chamber. 

Cendra peered down at her son, stern lips failing to mask a soft gaze. “Yet you will. You cannot waste away.” A silent pain lingered behind her eyes as she beheld his misery. Hardly had they spoken since Clin’s departure. “In any case, The God Emperor has summoned you personally.” 

Whatever hope he had of returning beneath his sheets crumbled at once. In utter surprise, fear stirred him back to life. “G…grandfather? Why?” 

Her lips tightened, clearly disliking her own ignorance. “Obey your mother and rise. Now.” 

Reluctant movements pulled him from bed. At last, he stood as slave girls were ushered in to help him dress. Decorating their little master in a tunic and cloak of pristine white, they combed his long blond hair as they prepared him for an audience with The God Emperor. 

Cendra’s smile was subtle as she studied him. She patted his head approvingly when the slaves departed. “There. My golden prince returns to me.” 

Together they left the safety of the chamber and marched through the halls of the palace, joining with the Knights that had accompanied Cendra during her morning duties securing the city. Even while surrounded by powerful guards, Cliax could help but walk nervously. He wanted to go back, yet duty drove him forward. 

They passed Arkos servants as they marched, and the young prince offered them a gracious nod. It was not the natives he feared. 

Hardly did they have to walk far, for The God Emperor had already made Torakeom’s grand lounge into one of his favorite lairs. As they turned the corner of the final corridor, however, they were met by Nafalya as she slipped through the doors of the lounge. 

“Best not to keep father waiting, dear Cendra,” she greeted them as she strode down the hall with silent steps. Before she passed by, she leaned over to softly kiss Cliax’s forehead, granting him a smirk. “What a lucky, lucky boy you have.” 

Though she left them to face whatever awaited, Cliax couldn’t keep the redness from his cheeks as he reached up to touch where his pretty aunt had kissed him. Cendra’s eyes merely narrowed in annoyance, placing a hand on his shoulder to urge him to continue. 

The guards outside the doors bowed, and she dismissed her Knights as she and her son entered the lounge. An immense chamber, nearly rivaling the grandeur of The Grand Pyramid’s Chamber of Maps, the dark walls were decorated with splendid artworks and lined with statues of gold. 

Hardly was Cendra distracted by the display of immense wealth, more than accustomed to the fortune of her own family. She marched through the priceless personal collection of the Arkos king with little more than a glance, finding that her father wasn’t alone. Forgoing the various cushions littered throughout the chamber, Lalian, Quinla, and Torakeom himself stood around a square table with their ruler, evidently locked into a deep discussion that she interrupted with her presence. 

“Come, my flower,” Dominax summoned her with a smirk. “My Goddess of War should bear witness to my designs.” 

As she approached the table, the others offered their greetings. 

“Ah, your majesty, good, good.” Torakeom bowed his head low in her presence. “Did you bring the…ah, there he is.” 

Somewhat concealing himself behind his mother, Cliax felt his unease deepen as the old king’s gaze found him. 

“What is the purpose of this, father?” Cendra asked. She glanced down at the table, its surface decorated with tiny tiles made from gems of red and purple. Upon it rested several large maps depicting The Wandering Desert, the lines fresh and new. 

“Nothing less than the future of the Arkos people.” The God Emperor guided her to his side, peering down at the boy at her hip. “We know what’s best for them, yet we must prove it. Behold the shape of the world I shall give them.” 

Studying the new maps, Cendra raised an eyebrow. The changes were obvious, having studied the political landscape of their enemy during their mountainous march. “You would forge a new kingdom to the north?” 

Quila cradled the gentle swell of her early pregnancy as she replied with a graceful smile. “It has long been a dream of both the Arkos people and the kings of Spirexia to settle a firm foothold in the area beyond their borders. Now, your father seeks to colonize the terrible desert fully.” 

“It…it’s a staggering task, though I believe it can be accomplished,” Lalian added. He gestured to the hypothetical layout of the new kingdom as it rested between Arkos and Tazik lands, brushing against the western border of Spirexia. “I’ve already begun designing the capital city.” 

“The Lanthian overreaches,” Torakeom replied. After an unamused look from The God Emperor, he hurried to correct himself. “Lord Lalian, that is. Ah, yes, it shall require many years before such a project may be completed. Though I…ah, thank him for his enthusiasm, it is best to slow our pace and find time for proper Arkos architects to assess the future capital city.” 

“Grand Imperial Architect Lalian shall have full control over any such projects, as his title demands,” Dominax harshly corrected, caring little for the king’s displeasure. He returned his attention to his daughter. “Many years shall be required to see such aims completed, it’s true. The foundations must be put in place now, and thus, I’d settle your place in such plans.” 

Cendra watched him study her son once more, seeing the ambition in his gaze. She straightened with reserved curiosity. “My sword is yours, father.” 

Dominax chuckled. “Yet it’s your son I require in this.” His hand swept slowly across the maps. “Consider the kingdoms within our grasp. Three Arkos realms, Narok, Wonakaros, and the future I shall plant in the northern desert. I shall unite them under the control of a single ruler, three kings bowing to one worthy being directly beneath my control.” 

She held Cliax’s shoulder tightly as she chose her words cautiously, her ambition a fragile thing. “Wonakaros has yet to fall. The Lanthian Jungle remains our primary concern, does it not? Rather than scattered desert nomads to the west?” 

The God Emperor nodded with a knowing grin. “They too shall fall, in time. Like the Arkos, I shall shatter The Lanthian Empire and remake it to fit my designs. Their empire shall be absorbed into mine, their lands restructured into a province. I shall take their Grand Miarch, an empress in all but name, and replace her with a worthy being that all four rulers of the Lanthian kingdoms may continue to serve.” A conqueror’s hand loomed above the dark desert. “The Arkos kingdoms shall be unified into a province of their own, yet they require a ruler. In plain words, my flower, I’d give your son the power of an emperor.” 

Cendra peered down at Cliax, almost afraid to hope as ambition threatened to entangle her. “He’s only a boy, father.” 

“Boys become men, and I’d trust no other with such power than my own blood. The son of my firstborn, my grandson, I’d see him elevated to a position worthy of a Vaid.” The God Emperor’s silver eyes glowed as he regarded the young prince. “Cliax, child, I’d grant you a duty few beings have ever endured. I would see the Arkos kingdoms united beneath your rule, and in time, I’d see a new House rise from your blood to rule over The Wandering Desert eternally.” 

Cliax forced himself to speak despite his grandfather’s intense gaze. “They…they would be under my care?” Too young, he could hardly begin to comprehend the duty that stood before him. When Dominax nodded, he looked at the maps and swallowed nervously. 

“A new House? What of-” Cendra stopped herself, glancing at Torakeom. Despite her unsteady ambitions rising within her, she was reluctant to discuss such things among outsiders. With great care, she kept her words vague. “What of Jinilya? What of your other plans?” 

Dominax cared little if the others heard. Hardly were political unions between cousins rare, though he avoided the mention of the twins. “My breeding project remains unchanged. Cliax shall always remain a Vaid, as will the child he produces with Jinilya. I would see him produce other children as well, and thus, he shall sire an Arkos heir to rule over the desert. So too shall Jinilya birth heirs of her own to rule over the Lanthians, branching our House to govern all we have built.” Ambition dripped from Dominax’s grin. “And all we shall build.” 

Heart quickening, Cendra couldn’t help but find herself matching his grin. She covered it with her fingers, concealing a joy she had believed impossible in the wake of Clin’s departure. “What can be said? I…” She was all too aware of the others watching. “Thank you, father.” 

The God Emperor shattered her prideful facade and seized her chin, guiding her into a deep kiss. Savoring the taste of his daughter as the others politely looked away with darkened cheeks, his voice was a low rumble when their lips finally parted. “My flower, my firstborn. I would put your bloodline upon every throne in my grasp, though the desert shall have to do.” His gaze eased as he caressed her cheek, seeing hints of Briza in her features. 

None were eager to interfere with their moment, though eventually, Quinla cleared her throat politely. “Your majesty, would you like me to summon our guests? Now might be the proper time.” 

Cliax watched as his grandfather nodded, turning from his mother. Before his thoughts of the great duty he had been promised had even begun to settle, he saw Quinla make her way towards the doors. The hybrid Queen Regent departed the chamber. 

Cendra stood with silent patience at her father’s side. As they waited, she felt his hand creep down to settle on her rump, hidden from the others. His touch only coaxed her lingering sorrow, however, and she crossed her arms across her chest. 

A minute later, Quinla returned, flanked by her guests. She led two Arkos girls dressed in silks into the grand lounge. 

When even Torakeom regarded them with confusion, Dominax chuckled. “Do you have so many grandchildren that you fail to recognize your own blood?” he teased, knowing all too well how many granddaughters the old king possessed. “Gaze upon the future of your legacy.” 

The group abandoned the table and came around to face the girls as Quinla introduced them. “I present Taros and Quos.” 

Taros, the eldest by several years, was more than familiar with The God Emperor. She caressed her flat belly with the memory of his seed inside her. The second girl was a shy little thing, the same age as Cliax. Rather than the transparent silks worn by her older cousin, Quos was clad in the crimson silks that matched her grandfather’s long robe. 

“Ah, my good friends, what is the meaning of this?” Torakeom questioned behind a false smile. 

“They have been selected,” The God Emperor stated plainly, his words oozing through the chamber. He urged Cliax to stand in front of him, placing his hands upon the boy’s shoulders. “I chose my words carefully, Torakeom, for the legacy of your blood shall pass through these two. When the boy reaches maturity, he shall sire a child with each of them.” 

Purple eyes widening, Torakeom appeared baffled. “At no cost, I suspect. To what end, great God Emperor? You’ve already spilled your seed in the eldest of the pair, have you not?” 

Taros had been the first, though Dominax had spent each following night among the king’s harem of granddaughters to ensure every one of them fell pregnant. “Indeed, yet the child she carries now is of no concern. You shall turn your focus towards her until your end. Prepare her, teach her to rule and to speak our tongue fluently, for she shall be the regent of the child she conceives with Cliax upon your death. Their child shall inherit the throne of Narok,” Dominax explained. Though a decade older than the boy, she’d still be young and fertile by the time he reached manhood. 

Torakeom shook his head. “My friend, my friend, that is not our way. The members of a king’s tribe must prove their worth by amassing wealth and demonstrating accurate financial predictions.” He gestured to himself with more than a hint of pride. “Only the most successful candidate may ascend the throne.” 

The God Emperor’s tone offered no debate. “The ways of Narok are at an end. Coin no longer decides the fate of this kingdom, for my will shall alone.” He watched the silent war upon the old man’s face, all too aware of the crushing grip of the legion’s occupation. “You knew the price of bowing.” 

In the short silence that followed, Cendra nodded at the younger girl. “And her? What part do you expect her to play?” She studied the pair like a predator, assessing the two girls that were expected to birth her grandchildren. 

Quinla ran her fingers through Quos’s long hair with pride. “This one shall give birth to Cliax’s heir, a child that shall rule the Arkos province after him.” 

Dominax’s cold gaze continued to challenge the old king. “Your blood shall mix with my own upon two thrones. Such is the prize you have purchased with the death of your culture and independence. Such is the reward for your loyalty. Will you endure?” 

Torakeom watched his granddaughters stand on display. Finally, he offered a nod. “Of course, my friend. Of course.” He swallowed his pride. Such was inevitable with or without his assistance. Surviving upon the throne, he would see his loftiest dreams fall into his grasp. “Forgive my foolish outburst.” 

The future of the Arkos was in motion. All that remained was to crush their enemies to the west. 

“M…my lady?” Lalian asked. 

His words brought their attention to Quinla, for she touched her quivering lips as a subtle dampness gathered in her gaze. “Pay me no mind.” She smiled, caressing her pregnancy as if it was the source of her increased emotion. “An Arkos kingdom in the northern desert is simply…” Tears of joy were wiped away before they could fall as she regained control. “My father remained an outsider in the court of Spirexia long after my royal mother took him as her bondmate. I merely wonder what he’d say to witness humans and Arkos building a new realm together.” 

The God Emperor met his grandson’s gaze as the boy peered back, his fate already sealed. “May cities of grandeur rise from empty dunes.” 

*** 

The future of the Arkos species was decided, and when they were all dismissed, the short return journey to his mother’s quarters felt like miles to Cliax. He followed her proud strides with heavy shuffles of his own. 

As they reached the door to their chamber, however, they were surprised to discover Arinax waiting outside. He merely sat silently, legs folded as he read peacefully from a small wooden tablet. Having sent the guards away, he was a bizarre sight, for The Prince Upholder of Vaidrin enjoyed his momentary solitude. 

“Cendra,” he greeted his elder sister coldly as he rose to his feet, unable to meet her gaze. “Vixin is preparing an entourage to tour the city.” He shrugged. “I was hoping Cliax would come.” 

“Of course, Arinax.” She did her best to appear friendly, an ability far beyond the grasp of The Goddess of War, and thus her smile was too forced to appear natural. 

“Mother…” Cliax offered a weary expression. Now, more than ever, he wanted nothing more than to vanish from the world beneath his sheets. 

Cendra shook her head sternly. She would not let him retreat so soon. “You are going.” 

With an annoyed sigh, the golden prince hung his head. He knew better than to argue. Arinax thanked her with an emotionless nod before gesturing for his companion to follow. Before they departed, Cendra hesitated, choosing to pat his head rather than offer a departing embrace. 

The boys went on their way as she entered her chamber and sealed the door. They did not see her stroll to the small table beside her bed, picking up the small wooden box that contained Vixin’s gift. They did not see her glance at the door, then back at the box, finally opening it to reveal the slug waiting inside. Biting her lip, she mounted her bed. 

Outside, the boys navigated the palace, stopping only to retrieve Zela from the quarters she shared with Arinax. The princess swiftly ceased working on the latest of her paintings and joined them, following the corridors until they found the others gathering in the entrance hall. A small army of guards waited outside the grand doors, ready to escort the royals through the heart of their enemies’ conquered kingdom. 

Finding Vixin as she spoke to Salduin and Yisi, they waited until the last Lord that sought to join them arrived. With the princess’s command, the rest followed her outside the palace. 

The glow of braziers burning purple fires splashed across the streets and the walls of tall buildings beneath the dark ceiling of the vast cave. They could build, and build, and build, yet it seemed impossible for a mortal man to ever touch the distant ceiling of natural stone. 

Zela stared with astonishment at the natural beauty of the city once more, for she and the rest had been confined to the safety of the palace since their arrival. Only Cendra and Nafalya had explored the city, yet they spent their time securing dangerous streets and snuffing out resistance. As they walked, Zela thought nothing of the hidden bloodshed that occurred each night, seeing only wonders. 

Arinax remained close to Cliax as their group marched down the street. Though the boy said little, he was glad to see him free from his bed at the very least. 

“Look!” Jinilya pointed to a curved building lined with grand pillars. High atop her father’s shoulders as Salduin lovingly carried her, a cruel smile spread across her young face as she saw the statues of gargantuan worms placed beneath each pillar. Their gaping mouths were ringed with horrid teeth. 

“That place is the source of their silk,” Arinax explained quietly to those closest. He remembered reading about the building, one of many throughout the kingdom in the shape of an open arena. Inside, great worms the size of men were contained and bred, farmed for the silk they produced. 

Continuing, they saw groups of legionaries placed throughout every street. Cendra and the legion commanders had done much to keep the population under control. 

Cliax peered up to glimpse an Arkos watching them from a high window. A moment later, her mother yanked her back inside. The sight of them stirred the knot in his stomach further. A vast city stood around him. A city of people, soon to be his responsibility. 

As they walked, hearing the tiresome comments of Lords regarding everything they passed, Arinax heard Vixin’s quiet words ahead as she pressed close to Anthara, holding Yisi’s hand at her other side. “Well, you’re in quite the irritated mood, aren’t you?” 

The Lanthian woman shook her head. “Think nothing of it.” When Vixin wouldn’t let the matter drop, she gritted her teeth in annoyance. “Lalian confessed what occurred with your father and the king’s granddaughters. He and those…Arkos whores.” 

“Lalian? With an Arkos?” Vixin giggled, only to clear her throat when Anthara glared. “Apologies, though I don’t understand. Have we not…” She glanced back at her siblings, keeping her careful words low. “You’ve granted Lalian great freedom.” 

“Yet an Arkos? Here? After all these people have done to my own?” Anthara’s wings fluttered in irritation. 

“The granddaughters of Torakeom are little more than slaves. None of them have ever so much as seen the jungle,” Vixin explained. When Anthara merely looked away in anger, she pondered before shrugging. “So be it. I suppose we’ll have to punish Lalian.” 

Anthara raised her green brow. “Princess?” 

“I sealed you both as bondmates. I won’t allow resentment over something so trivial to taint that union,” she explained, appearing nonchalant. When the Lanthian’s expression demanded more, unable to keep curiosity from bleeding through her subtle anger, Vixin leaned in close and whispered into her ear. 

Arinax could not hear his sister’s words, though he saw Anthara’s cheeks darken. The women shared a look, only to chuckle together. 

Navigating the maze of streets stretching across the vast floor of the cave, they passed a large structure surrounded by legionaries. Through the wide arches of the building, Cliax saw Arkos slaves toiling inside around massive forges. 

Arinax held no doubt that his father would soon mix humans among the slaves, Vaidspawn that would turn the metal forged by the Arkos into proper chimira steel. Already such places littered The Empire as his countless illegitimate siblings earned more than a respectable living by forging the white armor and weapons of the legion. 

Beholding the slaves as he peered through the ring of armored men, Cliax’s unease deepened to touch his young bones. The full truth of his future duties was far from his understanding, yet the adults had made it more than clear that these would be his people. Through naive eyes, he watched them suffer. 

“Grandfather wants me to rule them,” Cliax blurted, no longer able to withhold all he had learned. “He wants to make me their king, or their king’s king, or…I’m not sure.” 

Arinax turned to him with worry. “The Arkos?” He waited for the boy to nod. When he did, Arinax’s heart sank. “Cliax…” Long had he suffered the expectations of his own unwanted future. Some tiny part of him had hoped the boy would be spared from such duties. 

Two princes walked in silence, their futures already decided. 

*** 

A long day came to an end, though Lalian was far from tired. He strode through the palace corridors with excited steps, his mind a cacophony of ideas as he held the first designs for a new Arkos city tucked beneath his arm. 

Finding his personal quarters, he expected to find Anthara waiting. Instead, he discovered only darkness consuming every inch of the grand chamber. 

His thoughts moved quicker than his body, wondering where his love could possibly be at such a late hour as he stepped blindly through the dark. Seeking to light a candle, he felt around and placed the designs upon a nearby table, though a low voice stopped him before he could banish the darkness. 

“Don’t, my love.” Across the room, Anthara offered a warning. A sudden spark ignited the tiny flame of a candle in her grasp, a weak flicker that illuminated only her bare body. The light trickled over her curves as she stood before the bed, beckoning him close. “Come. I have quite the surprise for you tonight.” 

Utterly surprised, Lalian could see only the outline of an unknown mass atop the dark bed, blanketed in shadows. He crept closer, seeing a chair waiting at the foot of the bed. “A…Anthara? What is this?” 

She hushed him with a finger to his lips when he reached her. With the darkness swirling throughout the chamber, she began to undress him. His tunic and cloak were discarded, leaving him exposed as she gently forced him to sit upon the chair. “Calm yourself. Don’t resist, or I’ll be very displeased.” 

Obeying, he didn’t dare to move as she began to tie his arms behind his back. “This…oh, this is most singular. I-” 

Once more, she silenced him. Once more, she began to bind him with rope, forcing his legs apart and securing them to the legs of the chair. “I won’t lie, my love. I’ve been very angry with you, yet I have a solution.” 

Lalian watched a cruel grin crept across her pretty features. Heart quickening, he watched as the mass upon the bed stirred. “Is…is this about Torakeom’s granddaughter? I…apologize, my love, though if you’d let me explain further-” 

A warning glance cut off his words. She moved slowly, drawing out his anticipation further as she began to light other candles. As the light spilled across the bed, he saw the truth at last, eyes widening as he realized they weren’t alone. “V…Vixin?” 

An imperial princess lounged upon the bed, the shadows hugging her bare curves before they were thrown back by the light. She stretched her naked body across the sheets, offering a teasing smirk to her father’s advisor. “Hello, Lalian. Forgive my intrusion.” 

“You’ll forgive her for far more than that,” Anthara stated harshly. Mounting the bed, she ran her fingers over the hip of the lounging princess. “I was content to continue my resentment. Her majesty, however, offered another suggestion.” 

Heart pounding, Lalian tested his bindings, feeling utterly exposed. “I…I…” He watched as Vixin caressed his lover in return, her royal fingers gliding over smooth green skin. 

“You have quite a caring friend here, my love. She has convinced me to turn my anger into something we can all enjoy.” Anthara ran her hand over Vixin’s thigh, savoring the female flesh in her grasp. “We’re going to punish you, little Lalian.” 

Vixin giggled, though she offered an apologetic glance at the green man. “The alternative was allowing her resentment to fester. Besides, I know you quite well.” 

“Yes, well indeed. You’re going to sit there, my love, and you’re going to watch.” Anthara explored her female lover’s gorgeous form, drinking in the sight of her. “You’re going to ache.” 

He felt his exposed manhood twitch at her words, watching the beautiful bodies on display. Candlelight traced over fair human skin and green Lanthian flesh as they brushed together. “A…Anthara, please, I-” 

She hushed him, wanting no distractions as she obsessed over Vixin’s royal body. Her hands ran down her graceful curves, utterly worshiping the alluring princess. 

Vixin’s hand ventured down, exploring between her lover’s thighs to find a damp warmth waiting. With an aroused breath, she pressed her lips to Anthara’s. 

Squirming at the sight, Lalian’s short cock began to rise. He watched the two women he cared for most as they were entangled together, their tongues dueling as their hands explored. Human fingers began to venture into the tightness between the thighs of the love of his life, making him strain with envy. 

Anthara moaned, rewarding her lover with a touch of her own. Familiar fingers slid inside the sweet sex of The God Emperor’s daughter, enraptured by the taste of her lips. 

His castrated cock could harden no further. It hung in the open air of the chamber, beyond his bound reach. With a whimper, he savored the moans of the women before him. 

Hips grinding against the royal hand between her legs, Anthara’s desire steadily built until she could endure no longer. She felt a longing the moment she moved Vixin’s hand away, though her cravings burned brighter as she guided the princess onto her back. Parting her gorgeous legs, she lowered herself to lick at Vixin’s aching cunny. 

“Anthara…ohh…” Vixin moaned, feeling her expert tongue. She let her head fall back in bliss, subtly rocking her body in response. 

With her head between human thighs, Anthara’s rump swayed as she remained on her knees. Knowing precisely how to drive her bondmate to madness, her hand snuck between her own legs and gently parted her labia, leaving nothing hidden to Lalian. 

He whimpered as his cock twitched with need. A fertile vagina waited just before him, her fingers spreading her lower lips. Every instinct urged him to slide his manhood deep into the warm tightness on display, yet he could not move. Every desire screamed to grab the swaying rump before him, yet his wrists remained tightly secured together. He could merely beg, hoping she’d offer mercy. “P…please, this is…” 

Anthara lapped at Vixin’s soaking sex before turning back to offer him a teasing smirk. “Oh? Did that Arkos whore not satisfy you?” 

Groaning in submission, Lalian could do nothing as his love continued her work. She savored the royal juices dripping down her chin, and when at last Vixin cried out and arched her back, she allowed the princess to drench her face. 

“You…are…a goddess…” Vixin muttered in the aftermath. 

“Spoken from The Goddess of Fertility,” Anthara chuckled. 

Eager to return the favor, the princess sat up and guided her lover to turn around, holding her in her lap. Their feet hung over the edge of the bed as she forced her Lanthian legs apart, leaving her vulnerable to human fingers. 

Lalian watched as Vixin pleasured his bondmate, her fingers teasing between her green lower lips. She held Anthara close, resting her chin lovingly on her shoulder as she avoided her wings. 

Anthara moaned at her touch. With her sex on full display, she chuckled while watching Lalian squirm. “Why the whimpers? Does your cock not hunger for an Arkos cunt instead?” She uttered a breath as Vixin gently brushed her sensitive bud. “After all, you spilled your seed inside one.” 

“I…I apologize, my love…” Lalian begged as his manhood twitched with a consuming need to slide himself into the fertile bodies on display. “F…forgive…m…me!” 

Her angry gaze softened as she met his pleading eyes. Biting her lip, she pondered as she studied him, watching his manhood quiver. Hardly was his mistake unforgivable. She was irritated, yes, and yet… 

Close to the edge of the bed, Lalian watched as Anthara reached a foot down to meet his groin. With a sharp inhale of breath, he felt her foot brush against his manhood. 

“My foolish little Lalian.” A sigh escaped her, swallowing her anger. Never could she remain resentful for long, though she didn’t have to forgive him quite so soon. She ran a single toe up the short length of his aching cock, teasing her bound love. 

Vixin’s hand found Anthara’s breast, cupping the perky flesh as she kissed her neck. She closed her eyes to savor the body in her lap, a sanctuary from her thoughts. She explored, circling a hard nipple with her thumb as she banished the memory of Clin’s message, having read it every morning and every night. For now, however, she sought only to escape her guilt and enjoy the tingling aftermath of her orgasm as it continued to faintly pulsate through her loins. 

Lalian strained in his bindings. Feeling utterly helpless, he offered a submissive whimper as her toe continued to tease his cock. 

Anthara granted him a look of pity, finally relenting. He would not be freed, however. He would not feel the soft skin of their gorgeous bodies, nor the tightness between their pleasured thighs. Instead, she moved her other foot closer. Together her feet pressed against either side of his shaft, allowing him to struggle to hump between her soft soles. 

He heard them giggle as they watched him hump, feeling humiliated as he desperately sought to satisfy the burning need in his loins. Degraded beneath her feet, his body quivered in submissive bliss. 

Anthara moved her feet. She pressed one against the underside of his short cock, beginning to rub. His eyes fluttered, melting into the chair as he surrendered. His pleasure was entirely in the control of his love, receiving only the mercy of her foot. 

Vixin continued to coax Anthara’s moans as her fingers glided into her soaking sex, driving Lalian to madness at the sight. She sensed his frustration, his need, his bliss. 

Once more his love pressed her feet together, beginning to stroke his cock up and down with an agonizing slowness. The stimulation made him tremble, just enough to torture his manhood with a throbbing need as he watched Anthara moan. 

“I…my love…I…” Lalian tried to beg, offering a warning. As her feet slid down his cock a final time, however, his body clenched as he was forced to finish. 

Anthara chuckled to herself, feeling his tiny drops of clear liquid squirt weakly upon her toes. She had little time to savor his defeat, however, for Vixin’s fingers swiftly brought her to the edge of her own climax. With her body seizing in the lap of her lover, Anthara cried out. 

Vixin continued to tease her throughout her orgasm, yet when it finally ended, she held the green woman tightly. They breathed together in the aftermath, naked bodies pressed together. 

Finally, she could allow Lalian to suffer no longer. Though every instinct begged her to remain with the warm body in her lap, Vixin forced herself to escape from beneath Anthara and leave the bed. Though her lover reached for her to stay, she offered an apologetic expression as she sought Lalian’s side. 

He could merely wait obediently as she untied him. When at last he was free, he felt her lips against his ear as she whispered. 

“See? I know you well, Lalian.” Vixin smiled. “Go to her. Be with the woman you love.” 

Eager to obey, he mounted the bed and found Anthara all too willing to accept him once more. Rolling her green eyes, she chuckled as she allowed him to settle at her side, holding him close. 

Vixin beheld them with satisfaction. She had sealed their love long ago, and still it remained. 

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