Deal with the dame

Early the next morning you seek out Carmen, knowing that she barely ever keeps things to herself. You find her chatting with another catgirl, Lurien, who's also a gossip. Their tails are both waving happily as Carmen tells Lurien all about what she and Rose did with the dame. You wait long enough to hear a few important details, then interrupt them. You chat with them for a bit, tell them not to talk about this to anyone else, then move on. It's just enough that if someone asked you could truthfully say that you 'heard it from Carmen'.

A little while later you find the dame. Not surprisingly, she's out in the garden practicing fighting with four of your catgirls. It must be a rare opportunity for her to be able to train with several nimble women and she's clearly enjoying herself. When she notices you she takes a break to drink some water and comes over to talk. "Don't worry, I'm being careful not to let anyone get hurt."

"That's not what I'm worried about. Some of these girls probably have the muscle memory of warriors. They might just hurt you by accident."

She grins and says "Yes, it's exciting. Some of them do seem to remember how to move and they also remember how to train, how to pull their swings and punches when it's about to miss the padding."

"You've only been with them a short while, but have you given any thought to taking some of them home?" She looks conflicted and says nothing, so you press on. "There are a lot of things they don't remember. Like which things they should talk about and to whom."

That causes her to blanch. "I'm not trying to hold anything over your head, I just walked in on a conversation, heard some things and told them to keep quiet. But I can't help seeing this as a blessing in disguise for you."

"What?"

You lead her off to the side, and once you're in a quiet alcove you continue. "I think it's pretty well known that you and your husband - Eraven, isn't it? You have some differences of opinion. It shouldn't be anyone's business, of course. But I know from meeting other women like you, some human and some catgirl, that the problem usually boils down to having children. Powerful women like you don't want to give up adventure and excitement, but he's worried about succession. It happens time and again."

She nods, but her whole body is on the defensive.

"I've got an idea that will give you, your husband and a few of the catgirls exactly what you want. Have you ever heard of 'Tiochien's Transferrence'?"

Her brow wrinkles and then dame Lorridan says "Yes... it's some kind of life magic to do with having children. Isn't it?"

"It is. The spell allows the transfer of the egg or eggs from one woman to another. It's rarely used, but normally it's used to allow a barren woman to have a child by placing her egg in the womb of another woman. It was approved by the church many decades ago thanks to the difficulties of the duchess Andrea." What you don't mention is the amount of arm twisting the duchess did to **** some very high ranking members of the clergy to approve of the spell. But Andrea was one determined woman.

"I have nearly four hundred catgirls and I'm eager to find homes where they can thrive. Many of them are very altruistic, most of them are fascinated by babies."

"Are you suggesting that they could... carry my babies for me? Is that even possible?"

"Quite possible. Both catgirls and humans can bear human or catgirl babies. We are close enough to them that it's no problem. If I'm not mistaken that will give you and your husband what each of you want. It will also, I hope, mean that some of my catgirls end up staying with you. I hope that if some of them go with you and visit occasionally with exciting stories it will encourage more of them to explore the world. Perhaps they will find themselves some husbands out there too."

The dame stands there for a moment, looking like she's been struck over the head. Then her mouth curls up at the edges and she starts to titter. It's not what you expected from the big, powerfully built noblewoman. You would bet that she hides that laugh from everyone she can - if you heard it without seeing the woman it's coming from you would assume a teenager from finishing school was nearby. Finally she gets the laugh under control and clears her throat. "I wasn't expecting an offer of aid like that. But... I am interested. I expect I would have to return with my husband?"

"Yes. And you'll have to find at least one catgirl who you've talked to who wants to travel with you and bear a child for you. I don't expect that part to be difficult, though I also expect that whichever catgirl you choose they will want to bring a few friends. Most of them are quite social."

"Oh yes! It wouldn't be fair to take one alone."

"If you can find the right girls now then I can begin synchronizing their cycles to you, so when you return everything will be ready. Oh, and I suggest taking at least one girl with you so you can introduce her to your husband."

"Yes. I'm sure Eraven will be interested regardless, but if I show him what they're like..."

What she's not saying is that Eraven is likely going to be very interested in some soft, friendly catgirls who can warm his bed while his wife is off adventuring. She'll never admit it, he'll never admit it, but you're sure the catgirls you send with her will find themselves 'entertained'. And what's the problem with that?