Saturday

Seamus opened his eyes. For once, not reaching instantly for his glasses. He stared for a long moment at the dome, high above. Watched the play of distant sunlight through the windows and pondered.

Alice moved sleepily. Settled back into his side and buried her face into his chest.

Seamus carefully and slowly ran a hand through her hair, trying not to wake her.

"Your Majesty." A quiet voice from beside the bed announced itself.

Seamus didn't want to respond. He wanted to stay in bed with Alice. But he'd ordered a wake up call, and it felt wrong to hit the snooze button on a live person. "I'm awake. Thank you." He closed his eyes for a long moment. Slowly let his eyelids drift open and watched the dust motes dance on sunbeams, captive but for a brief moment before being replaced by another. And another.

The guard bowed, knelt, and waited.

Were dust motes unique to each other? Seamus didn't know. He'd never researched it before. Not that he could remember yet.

Seamus kissed Alice gently on the head, eased out from under her, slipping a pillow in place, and observed as Alice murmured sleepily, then burrowed into the pillow. He slipped a little further and stopped. She was on his wing. And his tail. And his leg. He returned his attention to the dust motes.

The maid stepped forward and gently helped pry his wing out from under Alice, feather by feather, length by length, until his wing was free.

Alice giggled in her sleep as the last feather tickled her stomach, rolled the opposite direction and snored again.

Seamus pushed down on the mattress with his tail, creating a divot, and slid it the rest of the way out from under her, careful to point the stinger into the mattress as he slid it out from under her. Thankfully her roll had freed his leg, so he eased himself over the side of the bed then. He felt the kneeling guard slide warm, dry socks onto his feet. He closed his eyes, taking comfort in the feeling. Then slacks were slipped over his feet and up to his knees. Shoes soon followed.

A moment later, Seamus let himself get drawn to his feet, and the pants were pulled up to his waist. He opened his eyes as he felt his watch get buckled onto his wrist, checked the charge, and then checked the urgency on the fifty or so work email notifications. Seeing nothing critical outside of a security question he was relatively certain he knew the topic for, he pressed ignore until Monday.

The shirt and coat soon followed. Seamus closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them to see Lal in front of him, standing ready. He nodded and strode off the dais toward the stocks where Sireah was snoring.

Seamus stilled. She was beautiful. Amazing. His. He unlocked the stocks, and leaned forward and kissed her gently on the forehead.

Sireah opened her eyes, blinked, and cleared her throat. "Ahem. Ah. Good morning, Master. Did you sleep well?"

"I dreamed." Seamus caressed her face. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, Master." Sireah shifted. "Although...Master, my right breast..."

"Yes?"

"Below and to the left of the nipple, could you scratch there please, Master?" Sireah fluttered her eyelashes at him.

Seamus nodded. "Certainly." Reaching under the stocks, he carefully applied a single fingernail and scratched an inch below and to the left of her nipple. "Did I ease your discomfort?"

Sireah opened her mouth, searched his face. "Yes, Your Majesty. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Seamus lifted the stocks off of her tail, hands, and neck, undid the straps, then walked to a point beside her left leg, knelt down, and undid her leg strap there. He gently rubbed her ankle. Stood, walked back in front of the stocks, and did the same with her right ankle.

Seamus turned, accepted the panties from the maid. "Thank you, miss."

The maid bowed. "Certainly, Your Majesty."

Seamus turned back, knelt and drew the panties up and over Sireah's left, then right feet, then carefully drew them up over her hips. He turned, accepted the corset. "Thank you."

The maid bowed again. "I live to serve, Your Majesty."

Seamus slipped the corset over Sireah's tail, under her wings, and held the sides in place as Sireah did up the toggles.

Seamus accepted the sword belt, "Thank you."

The maid bowed. "At your service, Your Majesty."

Seamus turned to see Sireah facing him, standing tall on her tip-toes. He drew the belt around her and buckled it in place.

Seamus turned back to the maid, accepted the gun belt. "Thank you."

The maid bowed. "Yes, Your Majesty."

Seamus turned back and buckled the belt on Sireah. He stood straight and checked that everything was in the right place, then turned, and accepted the last pair: Sireah's heels. "Thank you."

"Of course, Your Majesty. Will you have any further need of me, Your Majesty?" The maid asked, still bowing.

"Not at this time. Thank you."

The maid backed away, bowing, five steps, ten, and Seamus turned back and knelt again. He slipped on the left heel, then the right. Standing again, he looked at Sireah standing at attention before him. "I'm heading to the throne room now, Captain of my Guard."

Sireah saluted him with both hands back, her wing tips touching the small of her back and a sharp, crisp bow. "At your service, My King."

Seamus walked slowly, memorizing the faces of each of the people around him as he passed. It amazed him how much staff it took to run a household like this. And nearly every one were also his, or one of his wives, guards. Sworn to protect and defend. And she would die if necessary.

A few turns later, he slowed further, knocked softly on a section of wall. Waited. The section of wall slid open with a whisper.

"Your Majesty." The guard in the darkness beyond bowed.

"Status on Na?" Seamus asked.

"Awake, Your Majesty. She slept most of the night. We..." The guard smiled lightly. "... brought her a little breakfast-in-cage and supplied her a litter box."

Seamus froze. "You're joking."

The guard's eyes danced with mirth. "No, Your Majesty. She snarled, but accepted the food and eventually relieved herself."

Seamus pinched his nose. "Okay." Looked up. "If she's awake, release her please. Ask her if she will join me for breakfast in the dining room please."

The guard bowed, "At once, Your Majesty."

Seamus turned, and walked away from the dungeon. He found his way to the kitchens and cooked eggs and toast with the chef bowing and retreating as he continued cooking, lost in thought. He prepared two massive helpings of tuna, contemplated the plates, and then retrieved a rolling tray.

Seamus continued to the dining room, where Na stood by the table, her tail swishing contentedly.

Na looked up as the cart clattered into the dining room, her tail stilling. She drew herself to attention and her eyes pierced his own. Seamus set the plate of tuna in front of her, grunting at the weight. Then he set the eggs beside it. He poured cream into the cup and placed that beside the eggs, pulled the chair out for Na, and then slid it in for her as she sat down.

Seamus rolled the cart to opposite Na, moved the food swiftly from the cart, then moved the car by the wall before returning and sitting down. He bowed his head: "Lord, we give thanks for this food. I pray to be a good man, a good husband, a good father, and a better Christian. Amen."

Seamus sat up and ate his food, trying to find the right words. Then frowned, sighed. Stood up. Turned around and retrieved the rolling cart, took it back to the kitchen, prepared more tuna and eggs. Came back to the dining room, set them to the place next to Na.

Seamus looked around and called out: "Ranekoo?"

Seamus heard a faint sound and turned to the left in time to see a figure land lightly before him, bow, and say: "Here, Your Majesty."

"Eat, please. Breakfast is served." Seamus pulled the chair out, waited, and pushed it in for her.

Ranekoo said: "Yes, Your Majesty. Thank you."

Ranekoo waited for Seamus to put the cart back and sit down across from them and resume eating before she took a bite.

Seamus made it through the entire meal without finding the right words, then it struck him he was probably in the wrong room. Sighing, Seamus stood, picked up the plates, told Na and Ranekoo to leave theirs where they were. He stacked the plates. "Come with me, please. We need to talk. After I do the dishes."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Ranekoo bowed.

Na was quiet a moment before she said softly. "Yes, my King."

Seamus flinched.

Fifteen minutes later, Seamus walked into the throne room, Na and Ranekoo trailing behind, stopping at the doorway.

Seamus turned to look at Na and Ranekoo. But neither entered the room. He closed his eyes, opened them. And knew the words. Knew the actions. He turned, took the first step up, turned away from the throne, and sat down, pushing back against the back of the throne, feeling his wings press against his back.

Seamus breathed in deep, and nodded to Lal, who motioned to Na and Ranekoo. They came in, knelt, and crawled forward as they had before. When they stopped, this time he let them stay there for a minute before giving them permission to approach further.

At their second stop, Seamus again waited a minute, then gave them permission to approach further. When they were closer, he ordered Ranekoo to stand and hold her position, and let Na stay where she was for two minutes.

Finally, Seamus ordered Na to breathe and climb into his lap.

Na rose from her bow, set her right knee beside his left leg, her left knee beside his right leg, spanning his lap. She had the backs of her hands pressed into her thighs as she arched her head up and to the right.

Seamus shot his head forward and bit at the offered neck. He felt Na's pulse skip a beat and she stilled, but her scent stayed the same. He pressed harder until he felt the skin break. Her pulse stayed steady.

Reaching up, Seamus gripped the offered whiskers. Her pulse skipped and swiftly resumed its steady beat. He released her whiskers, reached up carefully to where her ear should be, found it, and gripped it. Still her pulse was steady.

Seamus released her ear, moved his arm well away to the right, straightened his forearm, wrist, and hand, and winced as the claws came out. Seamus carefully used the back of the claws on her fur along her side, sliding them down her stomach. Now he felt her pulse stutter twice. He slipped further down to the cleft between her legs, and keeping the backs of the claws against her slid them between their bodies, hissing through his teeth when he felt one score a slight gash on his leg.

Holding the position for a minute, Seamus carefully pulled his claws back from between them, avoiding further injury, held them to the right, and sheathed them again. He finally let go of her neck, sat back a little, used his very raspy tongue on the little puncture wounds on her neck, then leaned back in the throne, ignoring the cat fur on his tongue.

"Explain yourself. Now." Seamus glared. His voice rigidly controlled.

Na swallowed. "I saw you dead, Your Majesty."

Ranekoo shot a look at Na, and froze.

Seamus narrowed his eyes. "How?"

"I don't know. You were in my arms. I was pregnant. I was crying. It was preventable. That's it, that's the entirety of what I saw, Your Majesty." Na hadn't moved from her position.

Seamus could feel the warmth on his leg from where his claw had got him. Lal started to dab at the wound and clean it, carefully pushing the edges back together and concentrating, the gash knitting together as the conversation continued.

"When?" Seamus asked.

"I don't know when it happens. I don't even know if it will. But I know it's likely soon, Your Majesty." Na closed her eyes and shuddered. Opened them and stilled.

"Why do you think it's likely soon?" Seamus asked.

"Because I smelled you before I smelled you. Your scent is aligning." Na said quietly. "My liege, my husband, my King."

Seamus's eyes narrowed and his voice went low. "How long?" He repeated harsher: "How long did you know? And when were you going to tell me I didn't VIOLATE YOUR CONSENT?" He couldn't hold back the shout. He rigidly controlled his temper, pushed it back deep inside. Buried it.

Na was quiet. "Six hundred years. And twenty. And a week. I told you immediately. My liege."

Seamus stared at her. Unblinkingly stared at her. "You didn't tell me immediately! I had to interrogate you!" He looked down at his hand which was vibrating on its own for some reason. He focused, it stilled.

"It was quite a fun interrogation, my liege." Na said quietly. "And, my liege, I did. I told you with my claws, my teeth, my tail, my whiskers, my scent, my ears, my wings, I practically had to yank down your pants during the dance and find a way to fall on you myself!" Her tail lashed with annoyance. Then stilled.

Seamus blinked. Opened his mouth. Closed it again. I'm not going to sigh. I'm not going to sigh. I'm not going to...darn it. "And what do you mean you knew six hundred twenty years and a week ago?"

"No, my liege. Six hundred years ago. Twenty years ago. And a week ago." Na said. "My vision was six hundred years ago. I knew twenty..."

"...The beta test...", Seamus breathed out. The first time I...

"Yes, my liege." Na closed her eyes. "I was so happy. I couldn't understand it. I'd been waiting over five hundred years for you. But I never forgot your scent."

Seamus blew out the breath he was holding softly. "And the reason you placed Ranekoo on the path to death or marriage?" His voice was tight, he wasn't going to let it out. Na didn't deserve his rage. Not this rage.

Na held her position, still and and at attention. "I needed an operative, my liege. You needed another operative. The dearest bond in our society is Foreclaw and Hindclaw."

Seamus could only see her left eye, but it was still closed, and the flame grew brighter.

"If I should fall exacting vengeance...I wanted another to ensure it. My liege. Or hopefully, prevent the need in the first place." Na kept her eye closed but the flame flickered and steadied to a lower glow.

Seamus closed his eyes. Took a deep, non-sighing breath, and let it out. She can smell you're angry. Admit it, move on. "Okay. At ease. I'm still mad. But right now I need to clean the fur off my tongue."

Seamus turned and saw Lal disappear as he tried to extract the fur from the barbs on his tongue.

Na leaned in. And licked his tongue. "I understand. My King." She leaned back, her blinks slow and even.

Seamus didn't flinch. "How do you do this?" He tried to scrape his tongue against his teeth but the fur was still there.

Na stuck out her tongue, and showed him as she purposefully lay the hundreds of tiny barbs in her tongue flat, and then raised them up again. Laying them down again, she delicately used a small claw to scrape the fur off her tongue and then use her other hand to pull the fur from the claw.

Seamus stuck out his own tongue and tried to do the same thing. Nothing.

Lal appeared with a glass of water and he hesitated, then accepted it. And drank deeply.

Seamus tried again. He felt a muscle twitch in the tongue.

"There, my liege. That muscle." Na said.

Seamus thought about the muscle he'd used and tried to focus on that muscle.

"Too many at the same time my liege." Ranekoo said quietly.

Seamus thought for a second. Concentrated. Lifted the tongue scraper he'd called to his hand and scraped at his tongue. "There." He still felt a few pieces of fur there.

Na smirked.

Seamus sighed. Stuck his tongue out again and tried flattening the barbs once more.

"Now you've got it, my liege. Soon you can dive between your wives' legs again without fear." Na said with a soft smile, then kissed Seamus before he could reply.

Seamus stiffened.

Na sat back, looked him in the eyes carefully, and placed her paws on his cheeks. Then wiggled her hips. Quirked an eyebrow.

"You're insatiable, you know that, right?" Seamus said.

Na leaned forward and licked his ear. "You try being celibate for 4,789 years, my liege. In a society that adores pregnancy, mothers and kits."

Seamus yanked his head back to look her in the face. "Ow." He rubbed the back of his head from where he hit it on the throne. "You're how old?!" Stupid. Never ask a woman her age you idiot.

Na leaned in and licked his jaw. "Four thousand." She licked his cheek. "Seven hundred." His ear again. "Eighty."

Seamus growled as she slid his shaft inside her. Sighed. The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband.

Na licked his neck. "Nine." Kiss. "Years." Licked up behind his ear. Swiveled her hips. "Three hundred." Licked the hair flat. Rotated her hips.

Seamus felt his breath coming unsteady, tried not to glare.

"Sixty." Na blew on his ear. "Four days." Her tail tip slipped between his pants and his shaft, and stroked gently. "And nine hours."

Seamus tried to focus but it was getting hard. Oh this woman makes me come undone. Suddenly it struck him. "You mean to tell me your birthday is tomorrow?"

"Mmhmm. Yes, my liege." Na panted as she rode him faster. "That's usually what it means when you go from 364 to 365 days in age."

"True." Seamus said as he held in another growl.

Na yowled painfully in his ear, cried out again and shuddered.

"I love you, husband." Na said into his neck where her head now lay, breathing in deeply. She whispered: "Don't leave me, please. Oh Lord, please. Don't take him from me."

Seamus froze, felt his fingers clench into tight fists, then relax, and he carefully put them around her and hugged her. Felt her shake. Relax. He buried his face into her shoulder and breathed out slowly. He raised his head to her ear and whispered. "I'm still mad at you." He said again. Hoping with repetition it would ease the hurt.

Na laughed into his neck. "I know, my liege. I know. I knew you would be. It had to be done."

Seamus held her carefully. "I know. I'll just have to find a way to get over it. I'm not going to puni..."

"My liege." Na interrupted. "You have to."

"No I don't. I'm King. Kings..." Seamus insisted, trailing off. I won't. The only good thing about being King is NOT doing...

"...Which is why you have to. My King." Na sat up, interrupting his train of thought.

"We can't count last night as your punishment?" Seamus asked wearily. Don't take this from me. Please.

Na shook her head. "No, my liege. You did that to make sure I was well enough to take your punishment. Now you must declare it." She leaned forward and kissed him. Then leaned back. "Otherwise it encourages disobedience."

Seamus closed his eyes. Counted to ten. Considered. Opened them. Looked at her bleakly: "Would ten be enough for you?"

Na looked at him strangely. "Ten what? Oh. No, my liege. Fifty. At least."

Seamus stopped, realized what he'd left out and glared. "You don't even know what I was thinking of."

"Let me guess...a lashing to the back, most likely cat-o'-nine tails?" Na asked.

Seamus flinched. "How did you...?"

Na sobered. "I've been watching you for twenty years, my liege."

"You're carrying my children. I won..." Seamus began.

"They would not be harmed. The leaps I perform are more strenuous on this body than even a hundred lashes would be." Na said evenly.

Seamus stared. "I've gone through leaps myself, they are easy. It's been hard to stop from finding myself somewhere else because of the pleasure." He insisted.

Na started and stared. "Ah. Interesting. I wonder...no...later." Using her tail, she helped extricate herself from the position, then she rearranged him, rebuttoned his slacks, and withdrew from his lap. She backed up, and knelt on the ground in front of the throne. "I accept your discipline." Her voice rang out formally in the chamber. Na returned to her earlier position of obeisance and placed her forehead on the ground. "Whichever number you choose."

Seamus closed his eyes. Shuddered. Opened them and stared down at his wife. Slumped. "Fifty it is, my love." His voice cracked. "Fifty." He whispered, then drew himself to attention, feeling empty.

Na said "Yes, my King."

Ranekoo knelt on the ground beside Na. "Yes, Your Majesty."

Seamus's eyes widened, not you too! and his breath quickened before he brought it under rigid control. And then he clamped his mouth shut before he said something foolish. "How soon are disciplinary actions usually carried out? I have a promise to fulfill soon." He said instead, knowing the answer, but hoping to give her an out.

Na replied: "Immediately, my King."

"Ah." Seamus said simply. My wife, the consummate professional. The spy. The maid stepped forward, carrying a long lash with nine falls and knots in the leather, bowed, and held it up for him. Seamus winced. Reached out. And picked up the handle from her hand. He looked up at her but couldn't find it in him to thank her this time.

Seamus looked down at the fine leather handle, stained black. The metal rivets gleamed with bright, new purpose. He hated how soft it was in his hand. How easily and smoothly it slipped from neck to butt, fitting his hand perfectly. He slid his other hand down one of the 1/8" wide falls to the first knot in the leather. Finding nothing sharp, the skived edges perfectly molding the knot against the fall in a hard lump, much like the one refusing to leave his throat.

"Your Majesty, I can..." Lal started.

"NO!" Seamus's head snapped up. He closed his eyes. Breathed deeply. "No."

"As you will, Your Majesty." Lal bowed and backed away.

Seamus continued his inspection. Checked each knot carefully until he could procrastinate no longer.

Seamus stood. Walked behind Na, who had knelt, and was up on her knees, had spread her wings wide, and had crossed her arms over her face and had her fingers covering her ears.

Stilling a tremble in his hand, Seamus drew in a breath. Let it out. Shut his eyes hard. Opened them. Stilled the tremble in his hand again. Shifted his feet further to the left. Took a practice swing against his hand to get a feel for the heft, distance, and throw, and nearly barked out in pain. He looked at his hand and saw the red marks. He stilled the tremble in his hand again. "15 now, the remainder after you recover from giving birth." I would reduce it back to ten...but I trust you. I need to trust you.

Na's tail lashed in frustration and then returned between her legs and stilled. "As you wish, my King."

Seamus looked down at the back of a woman he loved, a woman who loved him, a woman that had served Lucifer faithfully for millennia but now served him. A woman he was about to lash because she told him he needed to. He looked up at Sireah who stood at ramrod attention by the throne. For a split second, he considered the unthinkable, considered ordering...no. Closed his eyes. Prayed for forgiveness. Opened them, focused his attention on the spot he knew to be safe, and swung.

Na didn't say anything. The falls rested on her back, neatly in a wide fan between her wings.

"Count!" Seamus ordered, his voice rough.

"Yes, my King. When you start your first one. I will count." Na's voice was steady.

Seamus stifled a growl, stilled the tremble in his hand again. Glared. Breathed in, breathed out. Counted to ten. Opened his eyes. Readjusted the grip, and swung.

No answer. The falls again in a wide fan.

"Count!"

"Yes, Your Majesty. I will, my King." Na held her position.

Seamus held back a sob, drew his hand back, and swung hard, watched as fur ripple down her back as the muscles reacted to the impact. The falls were in a narrow band stretching from her lower to upper back, the sharply angled tips resting where they had pushed the fur aside.

"One, my King." Na said evenly.

"Finally." Seamus breathed out. Stilled the tremble in his hand. And pulled back, having to tug hard to extract the falls from the fur, and swung again. And again. His anger was gone after the third swing. He dreaded the fall of the lash after the first. He hated and needed the count. Needed the count because he could feel himself slipping.

The maid gently pulled the used lash from his wooden hand, and replaced it with another.

Seamus transferred the lash to his left hand and looked down at the open palm of his right hand. "Na. Back in position." He flexed the right hand, hating it wasn't trembling.

Na's wings snapped back to attention and she bowed with her forehead to the ground. Ranekoo moved swiftly to emulate the discipline position Na had just vacated.

Seamus wondered if Na had made a mistake choosing him. Prayed she hadn't. Prayed to be what she needed him to be. Despaired at failing to be the Foreclaw or the Hindclaw she wanted.

Seamus straightened up, transferred the lash back to his right hand, and turned to Ranekoo. "You are not pregnant." He stated.

"No, Your Majesty." Ranekoo's fur rippled and her tail trembled, then stilled.

"You have not sworn allegiance to me, and I have not accepted allegiance from you." Seamus said.

"Correct, Your Majesty." Ranekoo's voice was tense but steady, her scent slightly acrid.

"You are presently sworn in service to another, correct?" Seamus asked.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Her wingtips drooped a hair, but returned to their outstretched position.

"Then, without violation of your other oaths, do you have anything to say to mitigate this discipline or otherwise plead for clemency?" Seamus asked, praying. Please say yes.

"No. Your Majesty." Her wings drooped and she trembled again before returning to position and stilling. "I fully understood my actions and take full responsibility for the violation against your station, Your Majesty."

"Very well." Seamus wanted to curse. Sorry, Lord. Slumped. Drew himself up. Took up position, aimed, and once again let the tails fall on the back of yet another woman in his ever expanding circle of care.

Ranekoo flinched, shuddered, and said. "One, Your Majesty."

At ten, Seamus heard quiet voices in the corridor stop as they waited just outside the door.

When the eleventh fall landed he heard a gasp from the corridor and he flinched. Ranekoo shuddered, her wings dropping. Seamus paused, praying she would put her wings back and in the way of the lash. Ranekoo straightened her wings to full extension and he closed his eyes, opened them. *Crack!*

Ranekoo shuddered, her claws snicking out and catching part of her left ear. Her wings drooped and her tail writhed.

Put your wings back! Give me a reason to stop!

Her wings went to full extension, her claws retracted her tail stilled. "Twelve, Your Majesty."

At twenty, Seamus was long past wanting to be done with the whole thing.

At thirty, he wanted to throw the lash away from himself and burn every lash in the castle on a pyre.

At forty, he was done with being King.

At forty-five, he was flinching just as badly as Ranekoo and had to pause before he struck somewhere he didn't intend.

The maid dabbed at his brow, removing the sweat and poured water into his mouth and over his head, then wiped his face. Again he couldn't quite bring himself to thank her. Instead he inclined his head to her and she curtsied low.

The crowd in the corridor was dead quiet. A sea of scents, familiar, oh so familiar.

Seamus resumed when he could focus again, Ranekoo's trembling having eased a little but the continually held position was making her sway a little.

A few minutes later, Seamus let the handle of the lash tumble out of his hand into the maid's waiting hand. He walked heavily over in front of Ranekoo. "It's done." He put his hand on her shaking paw. "It's done."

Ranekoo pulled her wings back in, flinched, then tried again. Her wings trembled as she forced them back to their normal folded position. A moment later, she lifted her hands from her ears, slid them back down to her thighs, backs of the hands against her body, eased out of the kneeling up position, slowly slid her arms forward to the ground, and returned to her bow, forehead touching the floor, inches from his feet. "I thank you, Your Majesty." Her voice was strained but steady.

Crouching, Seamus placed his hand on her shoulder and nearly cursed as she flinched at his touch, felt his lips thin and his tail lashed before he stilled. He called out loudly. "You are welcome. Ranekoo. You have our respect. And if you will accept an order, our care for your back."

"As you order, Your Majesty. Thank you." Ranekoo started to crawl back stiffly, paused, turned her cheek into his hand, sniffed deeply, and then deliberately placed her forehead directly on his fingers and waited.

Seamus squeezed his eyes tight. Felt a hot tear force it's way past his eyelid. No, don't...I don't deserve this!

Ranekoo still didn't move. Trembling fiercely, Seamus ran his hand up along her forehead, behind an ear, and caressed her cheek. Going down on his knees, Seamus bent down and kissed the top of her head. He whispered into her slightly torn ear. "Forgive me. Please."

Ranekoo stilled, then rubbed her cheek along his hand. Carefully kept his lips on her head, she turned and kissed the palm of his hand. And whispered. "I have nothing to forgive you for. My King."

Seamus froze. Why?! Why would you call me that?! Please...no. Oh, Lord you are...never cruel. But at times...it feels that way.

Ranekoo backed away stiffly from his frozen hand and mouth until she was ten feet away, stood carefully, bowed, backed out the door, and bowed again as the Master of the Healers laid a hand on her shoulder and directed her to follow.

Seamus felt his hand clench hard enough to creak, forced himself to relax, softly punched the floor, opened his eyes, stood, turned and told Na. "Na, today's is done." He walked over to the throne, turned around, and stiff backed, sat down. "Can you forgive me for not finishing it all today?" He asked slowly, his voice even.

"Of course, my King. My Foreclaw. I understand." Na stood and peered closely at him. "I understand." She said softly. She bowed low. "May I approach?"

Seamus was quiet for a long moment. "Please do."

Na stood straight, walked up, knelt next to his leg, bowed her head again.

Seamus waited for her to say something, but she just knelt there, waiting. Closing his eyes he held out his hand. A second later, a cheek was there, rubbing against his hand, whiskers poking his wrist. He started petting. He felt...drained. Weary. He thought for a moment and realized he recognized this feeling. He hadn't had this feeling in a long time.

Purrs filled the room. Seamus could feel relaxation filling him as the sound waves reverberated through his hand. He didn't want to be relaxed. He stopped petting. At a snarl from Na, he started petting again.

Na crawled onto the throne alongside him and lay her head in his lap, her eyes peering up at him, her brow furrowed and scent...muddled.

Seamus said softly: "Until it's finished. When I'm here. So are you. In my lap." I can't go back to this feeling. If I do...

Na stilled. Her frown softened. And she nodded, the purrs soothing and easing his tension.

"Na." Seamus said quietly. "Tell me the details of the blood oath Ranekoo swore to you."

Na's ear stilled in its rotation and then resumed its flickering to sounds in the room. "She swore to defend who I told her to defend, my liege. To keep my secrets as if they were her own."

"Why?" Seamus asked.

Na rolled her head a little and looked up at him. "I shared the details of you who were. And what you meant to me."

Seamus stilled, then resumed petting. He stayed quiet for a long moment. "Why did you trust her?" Why did you trust me? I'm just another in a long line...

Na gave him a smile full of teeth. "She intrigued me during a little Miz game, like the Norse flyting."

Seamus frowned. "Don't remember that one." Not that he knew many Norse games in the first place.

"You trade insults. But the insults with sharpest teeth need truth determined through shrewd eyes and senses." Na said.

Seamus looked confused, and finally it hit him. And he startled himself by laughing. "Oh. Oh, Na. That was mean."

Na looked at him confused.

Seamus snickered. "No wonder she growled your name after she 'apologized' to me."

Na's eyes lit up. Then went half-lidded. And her purr increased in volume as she settled into his hand, a self-satisfied smirk wide on her lips.

Seamus chuckled, sighed, "Na?"

"Yes, my liege?"

"Why do I have to be King?" Seamus asked bleakly. His stare attempted to penetrate the stone walls of his throne room, futilely seeking the view of the nebula from his balcony. Trying to recapture last night. Before his dream.

Na's head rose up and her right wing reached up to the left side of his face to pull his stare down to her. "Because we need you." Her gaze was direct, unblinking, the flames of her eyes blazing fiercely. "Because I need you to be my King. Not just my husband."

"Why me? I'm an engineer. Not a politician, not a ruler, not... anyone or anything even remotely qualified." Seamus's gaze haunted by the ghosts of decisions he hadn't made yet, by the memories of David, of Solomon, of...the Caliphates and so many others.

Na snarled. "How many politicians on your world would you trust to sit in that chair forcing me to purr?"

Seamus flinched and glared back, stopping his petting. "None. And I know what you're doing."

"Good. Then move your fingers to the right a little. And don't stop. My liege." Na plopped her head back on his lap, hissing and snapping her wings as she rearranged herself again, curling her tail back around her body, grumbling under her breath.

Seamus ground his teeth. Felt himself grab her ear and pull a little. Then felt more than saw Na smile. So he rubbed the ear where he had gripped and her purr doubled. Shook his head in exasperation, looked up, and was about to direct the guard to let the crowd in when something else hit him.

"Na, how long have you been collecting op..." Seamus began.

Na's eyes widened and her tail froze.

Seamus stopped asking the question he was about to ask, and instead asked the only thing he could think of to fill the end of that question with: "...stamps?"

Na's eyebrows furrowed, her tail tip curled and her head cocked.

Na was quiet for so long, it was a shock... literally...when the zap hit him through his pants from six places. "Ow." Seamus said.

Na replied swiftly, jerking a little, "My liege, what are stamps?"

Seamus looked at her, opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again and laughed hard. Still laughing, he nodded and waved to the guard at the door to let the waiting crowd in the room. He sobered. "Taxes paid for sending mail."

"Ah...how?" Na started but stopped and shook her head at the entrance of the first group of people. "I withdraw the question."

Seamus's eyes went wide as he watched Alice walk in naked except for her corset and high heels. Steadier in the heels compared to yesterday, but not walking easily yet. Forget something when you woke up, dear? He asked carefully.

You weren't there to give permission. Alice shot back.

Don't have to be anymore. Seamus reminded her.

Alice blushed. Shut up.

Seamus did. Cleared his throat, looked around and spotted Maya in the group. He waved her forward. As she walked forward, Seamus saw several of the squad looking at Na in his lap. He started scratching her behind the ear again.

Ignoring the glare he was sure he was getting from Na, Seamus swallowed hard and asked Maya: "What time is your maze run and would you have time before the football game to join me and a few others for lunch?"

Maya's eyes lit up. "Oh...Seamus." Her sudden smile hurt his heart. "Yes. Oh, yes. The maze is in thirty minutes." She peered into his face. Then her face fell.

"Very well, barring unforeseen circumstances as befitting my life these days, I intend on being there." Seamus beckoned Maya closer.

Maya came close to the throne, bending over and Seamus spoke in low tones into her ear: "I promise. Never, ever, to send you away. If you choose to do so, that's up to you, but you will always have a place here."

Maya's eyes were bright, but careful. "You read it."

Seamus nodded. "I read it." He lifted a hand to her cheek. "I see you, Maya. My memory may be fuzzy in places, sharp...oh so sharp in others, but I see you again."

Maya sniffled. "Oh, oh. Please...I don't know the protocol. May I kiss you?" She looked into his eyes for a long moment.

Seamus looked over at Alice who nodded solemnly. Seamus inclined his head.

Maya put both hands on his cheeks and kissed him on the mouth, slowly, tenderly, then frantically.

Seamus tasted cherry chapstick and smiled softly.

Breathing hard, Maya stepped back, peering into his face searchingly.

"Go back to the strawberry." Seamus teased, forcing a smile. He hesitated.

Maya grinned hesitantly. "Will do."

Seamus held up a finger. "As to the other thing in the diary...I...my memories of that time with you are hazy and filled with guilt and likely tainted by a young man's..."

Maya's grin faltered but she stopped him. "I understand, really." Her smile came back, tight. "I'm just happy to see you...smile...again." She looked down. Back up. "I meant it." Her eyes were steady, brimming with unshed tears. "Every word. I mean it still. Anything. My promise stands, all of them." Her right hand came up and he saw the tremble in it.

Seamus nodded. "I understand." I have to hide it better this time.

Maya's head dipped, came back up, she turned, paused, half turned back around and ran her index finger on the edge of her lower lip. "Just me...or the whole squad?" She held the pose until he smiled back at her. And then she ran back to the squad, where a blond woman jumped, squealed and hugged her.

Seamus felt his smile leave his face, and saw three pairs of hands finish pulling their tops back down and realized his brain had somehow completely missed them flashing him. He shook his head in frustration, swearing not to miss them again, not to miss the signs again, and stroked a furiously purring Miz, finding all the spots she tried hiding that she liked the best.

Something struck Seamus then. Something critical. "Hanae."

Hanae crawled forward from behind the group, still naked, to five feet away and bowed. "Heika. I'm here." She waited.

"I am a Christian. I will never, ever force you to convert to my beliefs if you aren't one and if I try, remind me of today and this promise I am making to you now. Promise me that you will remind me." Seamus found himself breathing hard and forced himself to calm down.

Hanae froze. "H-heika, watashi...I...don't...hai, Heika." She bowed further and held the low bow.

Seamus nodded briskly, the lump in his throat again. "I'm not assuming. We just haven't known each other long enough and you're the first I'm asking to make this promise to me."

Hanae held her position. "Hai, Heika."

"Would you also be willing to join me for lunch? I'm not ordering you to." Seamus asked.

Hanae stilled and answered quietly. "Hai, Heika."

"Okay. Thank you. Do you need clothes brought for you?" Seamus asked.

Hanae shook her head. "No, Heika, one of your guards was kind enough to go out of her way this morning to retrieve them for me. D-do you wish me to get dressed now, Heika?"

"Yes, please." Seamus answered.

"Hai, Heika." Hanae rose from her kneeling position, and backed out of the doorway bowing.

Alice took a deep breath, stepped forward, her eyes flicking down the the floor where Na had been and then to where she was in his lap. Then down to where Hanae had just been. "Husband. We need to talk."

Seamus braced himself. Nodded.

Alice paused. "I talked with Vavnagal." She paused. "The bedroom has many beds. Not just the one on the dais. I'd like to recommend all women you've married can sleep in that room rather than the multiple rooms scattered across the castle."

Seamus stared at her. "Wouldn't they want their own space to get away at times?" He asked. He closed his eyes. "Yes, of course it's fine. Why wouldn't it be fine?"

Maya announced: "At one time it wasn't an of course." Her eyes widened. "Your Majesty."

Seamus realized something in his thoughts was leaking out. And not just to the love of his life that had an inroad to them that had stayed remarkably quiet on those thoughts this morning.

Na's head came up. "Your Majesty. May I ask something here, in front of everyone, that is intensely personal, but likely necessary?"

Seamus felt numb, scared. Nodded.

"Why did you go from loving the people in front of you to retreating inside yourself?" Na's voice was steady even as the question was devestatingly hard to answer.

Seamus spoke softly: "I have difficulty reconciling the beliefs I was raised with compared to how I really believed."

Seamus looked up toward the ceiling and then breathed out in frustration and barked a laugh. "At least this way I can see my corruption and the damage I'm doing happening in front of me."

Alice stepped forward swiftly, frowning, but was brought up short at a hand from Seamus.

"I'm in a dark mood this morning. Ignore me. I don't mean it." Seamus closed his eyes, breathed in deeply.

Maya spoke up. "We can't ignore it, Seamus. It is and was more than how you were raised. I've met your mother. I know it was hard but that was a long time coming. You know it, we know it. And you do mean it. You're wrong."

Seamus slumped, looked at Maya and spoke the next words directly to her. "I believe and believed a good Christian man can have multiple wives and that it was only really truly Paul that was so laser-focused on monogamy."

Seamus thought for a moment longer, and continued. "My mother disliked Paul, which probably influenced me on that front, but I researched extensively before I maintained that opinion." He shook his head, opened his mouth, but Helen spoke before he could.

Helen walked forward: "But again, you formed that opinion over years. You turned on us in a day." She searched his face. "I'm seeing it start again in your face right now."

Seamus shrank back into his throne at her approach, his eyes on her hands, the cuffs, the chain leading to the nipple rings. "Harems enslaved millions. I was, and am doing it MYSELF!" His cry rang out. But it didn't stop the women from coming closer and starting to kneel before him. He shrank back further, pressing his wings hard against the back of the throne. "Don't... don't... please..." He squeezed his eyes shut hard. Lord, cleanse my heart. Give me wisdom. Don't let me become Solomon. Please, please. Don't let me become the emperors of old. Kill me first.

Alice let out a strangled whimper.

Seamus kept his eyes closed and saw stars behind his eyelids as he swayed and sang the lyrics of 'As The Deer' to himself until the dark mood eased. Do I need a David of my own, Lord? Have I neglected to sacrifice something to you?

Pick one of the cheerleaders that sing, dear. You have two in choir. Alice thought to him gently. And Jesus died on the cross so you don't need to anymore.

Seamus shot a pained look at her. Then nodded slowly. That might be necessary. Especially if one should need to take up my throne after me.

Alice glared at him. "Seamus. What changed last night?"

"You know what changed!" Seamus shot back.

"Yes, but they deserve to hear it!" Alice pointed at Sireah. "Your Captain of the Guard deserves to hear why her new husband and Master could barely touch her the morning after! Hanae out in the corridor gets to hear why you seem like quicksilver! And Maya deserves to know why you spat on her love twenty years ago!" Alice's face was red with anger. Her tail was rigidly controlled. And...she was right.

"I remembered. I remembered reading about the women and men that were forced from their homes. That were sold into slavery. Their identities stolen from them. Forced to live in sin. Forcibly converted on pain of death or starvation or so much worse. All to feed the carnal appetites of some person who thought they had the right to do so. That thought they were doing what was necessary!" Seamus slumped back, drained.

"That wasn't all though. Was it?" Alice asked quietly.

"No."

Alice was quiet. She walked between the kneeling women and knelt at his feet.

"I...found a perk. A user perk that would allow me to restore people to life." Seamus said woodenly.

Alice didn't speak.

"I saved up. I needed a hundred people in my own harem to get enough..." Seamus's voice broke. "...to get enough to get the perk."

Alice asked: "And how were you going to use it?"

Seamus closed his eyes, shuddered. Felt the white hot rage return. "Na."

"How were you going to use it, honey?" Alice repeated.

"Na!" Seamus tried to stand.

"Answer me dammit!" Alice cried.

"I was going to raise them all! Victims and perpetrators alike! I was going to slaughter the perpetrators! And again! And again! Until every one of them begged me to stop. And then I would ask the victims what they wanted." Seamus cried out. Expecting gasps of horror but hearing none.

"I can do it for you, husband. How many stars are you willing to watch wink out?" Nazps-Odo asked.

Seamus gaped at her. Gritted his teeth. "Na! Get off of me!"

Na slowly turned her head and started inching off. "Nazps-Odo, call Ranekoo and order her in my name to curl up in the Kings lap."

Seamus heard Nazps-Odo doing as Na said and he snapped at Na. "Get off!"

"I am, my liege." Na was at his knees, poised, she paused, then seized in pain.

Black mist swirled and Ranekoo appeared, dropping from above Seamus's lap to land in a heap, whereupon she swiftly curled up and stared up at him, her eyes apologetic.

"Ranekoo, get off of me." Seamus ordered, his voice harsh and clipped.

"No, my King. Lash me again, but no." Ranekoo said.

Seamus growled fiercely. "I intend on killing Lucifer and freeing your people, now get off of me!"

"No. My King." Ranekoo splayed her whiskers wide and forward, opened her ears and pitched them forward toward him. "Take my whiskers, take my ears, but no. My King."

"Why??" Seamus looked around wildly. "He's done so much evil!"

"Heika, do you trust in God?" A voice from the door asked in a whisper.

Seamus whirled his head and saw Hanae crawl in, fully dressed, her chastity belt visible above the waistband of her skirt. "Yes! Of course I do!"

"Heika, do you trust He has a plan?" Hanae asked.

"Yes!"

"Then don't you think Lucifer's destiny is the pit of fire, and not death at your hands?" Alice asked quietly.

Seamus sobbed. "Yes. Yes, I do." His eyes blazed. "I can still slaughter his followers."

"Then may I request you not let blood rain down on your house, and I will take care of my mother and father, my King?" Ranekoo asked.

Seamus froze. "Your...mother. And father."

"The leader of the Miz. And her Hindclaw." Ranekoo said quietly.

Seamus wailed in agony. "No! No. No. I wouldn't do that to you. No." His wings trembled, pinched and cramping. "No. I'll never ask that of you. Ever."

"You didn't ask it of me before, my King." Ranekoo said, her voice tight.

"Why did you switch?" Seamus asked in despair.

Ranekoo looked puzzled, then her muddled scent cleared up. "Because I claimed you. My King."

Seamus closed his eyes. "Why?" He whispered.

"Because in the depths of your despair, you still cared for me. My King." Ranekoo lay her head against his chest, her weight heavy in his lap.

"You read about horrific people, yes?" Alice asked quietly.

"Yes." Seamus answered quietly.

"What makes you different from them?" Alice prodded.

"I haven't had long enough to become them." Seamus's inflection didn't change.

Sireah spoke up. "No, Master." She knelt and lay her tail on his arm. "Because you heard about them and rather than thinking they were something to aspire to, you wanted to resurrect them so you could kill them yourself. And you wanted to resurrect the victims and give them the life stolen from them."

"In other words, I virtue signal and commit mass murder all in the same breath." Seamus said.

"Master." Sireah rubbed his arm.

Seamus started crying, feeling the hands of his... harem, yes...but also the hands of women he loved, and who inexplicably loved him, holding him as he tore his grief from himself. Examined it.

Found it inadequate. Empty. Unfulfilling. He lifted his head, tears streaming down his face. Looked at Alice by his knees. And locked his eyes on hers as he forced his wings out from behind his back with a painful wrench and a few lost feathers, and enveloped them all as best he could.