A comfortable awakening to a pleased Irena

"Wake up, darlings." A familiar voice reached Marcus as he slept, dreaming deeply of a fluffy white rabbit being playfully chased and toyed with by a sleek black cat. The young prince's eyes fluttered open, a yawn escaping his lips. He found himself staring at the smooth, tanned face of another boy wearing a pair of black animal ears in his silky hair, also just stirring from a deep slumber. Luca...Marcus smiled sleepily, his very pretty new friend who felt really good to kiss. They were lying right against each other, the tanned boy's skin so warm and soft against his own. One of Luca's legs was resting over his bare thigh, and as the other boy stirred it rubbed down his flesh, making his skin tingle and bringing a warm flush to his cheeks.

"Ah, now isn't that a pretty sight?" The same voice purred above them. Marcus turned his head, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. His bleary gaze found a woman standing over them, tall and fierce, but with a gentle smile on her weathered face as she stared down at the two of them with warm, dark eyes. The young prince froze in shock...Irena. His new mistress...and he was only lying here in this basket because she'd made him her pet! How had he forgotten that, even as sleepy as he'd been? "You two have certainly gotten close overnight. That's good, cute boys like you should always play nice." The huntress queen continued, appreciation simmering in her eyes as they wondered over the two naked boys huddled up against each other. "I'll have to make sure you play just for me some time."

Luca rose from the basket, crawling carefully over Marcus, though he seemed to take the chance to rub as much of his warm body against the young prince as he passed. Marcus shivered, his belly fluttering and his poor dick starting to stir inside the silver cage fastened round his balls. He felt his butt clench around the fluffy tail plug still buried inside him, sending tingles through his skin and bringing a flush to his cheeks. By the time Luca had clambered over him and started rubbing against Irena's legs just like an affectionate kitten, the young prince was breathing rather harder. He struggled not to stare at the smooth, creamy skin of the tanned boy's butt as Luca arched his back and crawled between Irena's legs, his eyes darting over the long black tail curving up between those round cheeks. Somehow...even knowing how discomforting having one of his own was, he couldn't help but think it looked cute and attractive when paired with the tanned boy's catlike grace as he slunk around their mistress' legs, rubbing himself against her. And then, between his new friend's legs, the steel of that cage glinted, hiding the other boy's cock from view. Marcus swallowed, shifting his leg over his own caged dick. He still didn't understand why Irena made her pets wear them...and he wasn't sure he'd like the answer much.

"Good boy, Luca..." Irena cooed, reaching down her hand to run along Luca's arched back. The tanned boy shivered with delight, a soft, purring noise emerging from his lips. Marcus watched silently, still curled up in the basket and not daring to move. It felt even stranger now to see his pretty friend acting so much like the affectionate kitten after all the talking...and other things they'd done last night. "You've done so well making sweet Marcus feel welcome here." The soft purring noises from Luca grew even happier, as if just hearing that praise from her made him feel so very delighted he couldn't help but show it. Marcus found himself wondering if his new friend had tried so hard to help him last night...and even kissed him as well just to make Irena happy, his lip trembling and a faint ache in his chest at the thought. Then Luca glanced at him, giving him another small reassuring smile from between their mistress' legs, his dark eyes kind and sympathetic. The young prince shifted in the basket, wriggling up to kneel there on the cushion, then smiled shyly back at his new friend. Luca was really nice after all! "And how is my little bunny today, hmmm?" Irena leaned forward, peering down at him with an eager smile on her lips. "Feeling more settled, I hope."

Marcus shivered nervously, feeling small and helpless once again as his new mistress towered over him. Her dark eyes moved slowly over his body, and he felt heat flooding to his cheeks at how eagerly she was staring at his naked skin. At the same time though, she seemed genuinely interested in how he was doing, and after the affection she had shown him it was hard not to want to please her at least a little. While of course he couldn't speak, not in front of her anyway, Marcus felt an urge to answer her all the same. Remembering what Luca had told him last night, he sat up on his haunches, trying to look like the rabbits he'd seen in the castle gardens from his window. He was trying to tell her he was...okay, he supposed, but it did make him wonder why going along with being her bunny had been the only way he could think of doing that right now.

"Oh good boy!" Irena gasped in delight, and suddenly her hand was in his silver hair, rubbing over his forehead and petting him gently. The young prince shivered and smiled at the warm feelings her fingers sent through his body, the sense of deep comfort he felt in having her rub his head like this. It felt so good when she petted and praised him he almost didn't mind being her little bunny that much at all. This was just until Uncle Gaius came, he firmly reminded himself while she scratched gently behind his ears, making him want to purr like Luca. He was just keeping his new mistress happy until then like his Father wanted. The thought of the King, out there in the cold and bridled like an animal made him stiffen, a look of worry flickering across his face. As if she'd sensed just that reaction, Irena's hand withdrew, leaving the young prince feeling rather colder without the comforts of her petting. "Well, coming along nicely all the same." The huntress queen straightened. "Luca's a good influence, I'll make sure you two spend a lot of time together from now on, and maybe get even closer, hmm?" She smiled again, nodding to herself as if making a decision.

Again, Marcus felt the strangeness of this situation he was in all the more keenly, making his head spin as he considered just where he'd somehow ended up. Irena clearly loved talking to her pets, but she didn't want them to talk back. Hearing this one-sided conversation about him brought his new situation into stark relief, as well as some of the dangers and mistakes to avoid Luca had warned him about. He'd have to be careful like his new friend had warned not to let an answer slip out or he'd earn himself another punishment, like last night. His poor butt tingled at the unwelcome memory of the sharp spanking she'd given him in front of his Father, his stomach sinking as he recalled just how frantic and **** the King had looked straining against those bonds before surrendering and playing along with what Irena wanted for his son's sake. Marcus bit his lip, glancing at the floor in worry. He couldn't stop thinking about his poor Father. Did Irena go and let him down like she'd said she would? He really hoped so. It must have been awful enough trying to sleep in a stable.

"Well, if you two are going to get nice and close, I think it's best my little bunny sees what has to happen now." Irena's gaze flickered back to Luca, an eager glint straying into her dark eyes. "I'm afraid it's time for your punishment, Luca." The tanned boy's pleased purring died in a little whimper, and he drew away, settling up on his haunches like a shocked kitten. "That's right, you naughty kitty, you didn't think I'd forgotten did you?" The huntress queen continued. "All the things you did to tease Klara while I was away? Stealing the the twins' food, sneaking into the pantry, getting in her way when she's trying to work? I swear that woman's far too soft on you, one smack with a wooden spoon and she thinks you'll learn your lesson and stop. But we know better don't we?" She tutted, waving her finger in front of Luca, who shrank back with a worried mewling noise. "You need a sharper lesson from your mistress to learn to be good."

Marcus watched all this in shock. Luca hardly seemed the type to make trouble for Irena, the tanned boy clearly adored her, so why do all these silly things like stealing food knowing she'd punish him for it? Then he remembered what his new friend had told him last night, and felt his cheeks flush hot. Luca...wanted their new mistress to punish him. That was part of how he thought he was supposed to act as her cat. All of this, the naughtiness, the scolding, even the promised punishment was just him playing with Irena, doing what she wanted and being a better kitten for her. Stranger still, his new friend had mentioned how much he liked it when Irena was mean to him sometimes. The young prince shifted uncertainly. How could anyone enjoy having their butt smacked? He certainly didn't!

"My new bunny is going to watch, okay, just to embarrass you and so he can see what happens to naughty kittens." Irena grinned, giving up any pretense of being actually upset by Luca's behavior rather quickly. The tanned boy meanwhile had a rather eager look in his eyes for someone who was about to be punished, little shivers that could only be anticipation running down his slender body. Marcus glanced at his new friend, wishing he was allowed to speak so he could ask Luca what was going on, how he could act that way. At least...since the young prince apparently had to watch all this anyway, he might understand better afterward, "If you're very good and take your punishment well, I'll let Marcus comfort you afterwards too, okay Luca?" The huntress queen reached down to Luca, running a gentle hand over his pretty face and scratching at his chin. In spite of everything, Marcus felt a pang of jealousy as he watched his new friend lean into their mistress' large, warm hand as if she hadn't just promised to punish him. "Okay, naughty boy, I've let you charm me too many times before. You never learn any other way, do you?" Irena drawled, her hand slipping down to grab Luca gently by the collar round his neck. "It's time for your punishment."