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Part 8

As Marien awoke she could tell immediately that something was different. Her body seemed to vibrate, every strand of fur tingling with energy. A powerful warmth radiated out from her core, and her mind was filled with but one thought.

"I need to see Sieg!"

As she leapt out of bed, Marien was surprised to note that, not only was she back in her own room, but she was in her pajamas. Her clothes were neatly folded and placed on a chair against the wall; while her sword and belt were hanging up on their hook beside her armour.

As Marien changed into her tunic, beneath her clothes sat the piece of cloth from Sieg.

As Marien picked up the cloth, a small scrap of paper hidden beneath it drifted to the floor. Bending down, Marien retrieved that scrap and opened it.

"May the Spirits grant you what you seek. Best of luck, Little Soldier. Alywn."

With a smile, Marien folded the note and put it into a pocket. Picking up the piece of cloth from Sieg, Marien brought it to her nose and sniffed.

The effect was immediate. In an instant, Marien dropped to her knees, sensations coursing through her body. Despite her best efforts she moaned, low and long.

"I need Sieg!" her mind screamed.

After a few moments, Marien was able to climb back to her feet, her knees quacking.

"What did those crazy nudists do to me?" she grumbled, straightening her tunic and trying to quiet her embarrassment.

As she climbed back to her feet, Marien looked out of her window. The sky was clear, and the sun was already high above the city.

"It must be past noon!" Marien's mind raced.

Exiting her room as quickly as she could, Marien descended to the common area. She was surprised to see that the previous day's mess had been cleared away, the bottles stacked neatly against the wall, and the kitchen table cleared off. She was even more surprised to see Hazel in the kitchen, her fur brushed and washed, making a pot of tea.

"Morning," Hazel said brightly, smiling at Marien. "Or should I say, afternoon. I'm not sure I've ever seen you sleep in this much.

"G-good morning. How... how are you doing?"

"Better than yesterday," Hazel replied, pouring steaming water from the kettle into a pair of cups.

"It seems like it." As she finished descending stairs, Marien noticed that her tail was bumping rhythmically against her leg. With effort she was able to bring it under control.

Leaving the kitchen area, Hazel set the cups of tea on the table. "I wanted to thank you for helping me."

"It's alright, that's what friends are for." As she spoke, Marien had to fight to keep her knees from continuing to shake.

"No, I'm serious, you've always been a good friend to me."

Marien smiled. "It's okay Hazel, I know it's been hard for you. I'm just glad to see you looking so... well you are looking good."

As she approached the table, she found herself examining Hazel in a way she had never before. Hazel's face was angular, but well structured, with beautiful brown eyes and a cute pink nose. Her neck and shoulders were wonderfully slender and her shirt was large and loose enough that if Marien twisted her neck she could just about see her bare chest. Despite herself, Marien felt a powerful attraction developing, a curiosity about what it would be like to explore Hazel's beautiful form, to touch and feel her soft body, and then-

"No no no!" Marien screamed internally, shaking her head. "What is wrong with me?!"

"Are you alright?"

"Yes!" Marien replied quickly. "Yes! Yes I am fine!"

Hazel raised an eyebrow. "Okay so..." Hazel sat down and took her tea in her hands, "Where did you go yesterday?"

Marien's face immediately turned red, "I... I was..."

"It's rare for you to be gone till after dark. I didn't hear you come in."

Marien plastered a smile on her face, "I was... trying to be quiet. I didn't want to wake you up."

"So, what were you up to?"

"I had some things to attend to."

"Is that so?" A sly smile crossed Hazel's face, "Must have been pretty exciting for you to sleep in so much. I bet I know what you were up to."

Marien's tail twitched, "Y-you do?"

"Mmmhmm. I have to say, I'm surprised at you. You always seemed so straight laced. I never thought you would do something so illegal."

"Illegal?"

"Well, what would you call it?

Marien's heart felt as if it were going to leap out of her chest. "Listen, Hazel, we really shouldn't be talking about this-"

"You snuck out to see Sieg, didn't you?"

"I- Yes! Yes, I went to see Sieg!" Marien let out a long breath, "You got me...I just couldn't wait..."

"I knew it!" Hazel laughed out loud. "Not such a perfect Basitin after all, are you?"

"No, I suppose not." As Marien spoke she noticed that her legs were vibrating and her fingers were rapidly tapping the table.

"So you're going to spend the week with him?"

"That's the plan." Marien swallowed, trying to wet her dry throat, "And you?"

"Well I... I was thinking about what you were saying, about moving on. I thought about it, and... and you're right. So I thought I might go down to the beach. Go for a swim, lie on the sand..."

Hazel twirled a lock of hair in her fingers and purred. "Who knows, maybe even take advantage of this week and have some real fun."

Hazel's words sent a fire racing through Marien. Her breath quickened as extremely erotic images flitted unbidden through her mind. It took a great deal of effort and self control for her not to leap across the table and tackle Hazel in search of relief.

"Anyways, what I'm saying is-" Hazel reached across the table and took Marien's hand, "You don't need to worry about me."

At Hazel's touch, Marien let out a low, soft moan.

Hazel blinked in surprise, "Marien? Are you... okay?"

"What? Oh, yes it's just.. you know..." Marien's face turned even redder. "I'm just a little sore. Busy night."

"I swear, I'll set their bloody 'Hearth' on fire for this," she moaned inwardly, trying her best to stop her toes from curling and uncurling.

"Well, have your tea then you can go and see Seig." Hazel smiled, "I'm sure he can't wait to see you again either."

As Marien put her hands on the cup, the warmth of the tea seemed to travel from her hands, up her arms, and into her chest. Her fingers twitched, her toes curled, her legs wouldn't stop vibrating and she felt like she was going to burst.

"I have to go!" Marien shouted, leaping up from her chair.

"Wait, Marien, your tea!"

"I'll drink it later!" Marien shouted over her shoulder as she bolted for the door. "Thank you! Bye!

Hazel raised a hand and opened her mouth to try and shout something, but Marien was already gone, not even closing the door behind her as she ran out into the street.

Lowering her hand, Hazel sat back down at the table. "That's not good..."

===

Sieg nervously tapped his hands on his knees as he sat on the edge of his bed, watching the door to his room intently. Every time a set of footsteps went down the hall, Sieg's ears would perk up, only to slump when the steps continued on past his room.

Finally, after what felt like hours, the door opened and a doctor stepped inside.

Sieg titled his head, "You're not doctor Hail."

"Thank you for noticing," Sara replied dryly. "Dr. Hail is currently unavailable, so I will be assessing you. I'm doctor Sara Silver."

Sieg blinked in surprise, "Silver? Are you related to General Silver?"

"He's my husband."

Immediately Sieg's mouth went dry. "Oh! I'm sorry ma'am, I mean doctor! I meant no disrespect doctor ma'am!"

Sara chuckled to herself as she stepped forwards and felt the dressing on Sieg's shoulder. "Dr. Hail said you were a cute one," she said, gently prodding around to make certain the wound was closed. "I can see why."

Sieg's face turned red as Sara poked around the dressing and bandages still on his wounds.

"You're going to have some scars, that's for certain, but you're healing nicely. I'd say you should be able to leave in about a week, and take your bandages off two weeks after that."

"A week! But today is the start of the joining week!"

Sara stood back and crossed her arms, "Well, I suppose you should have thought of that before you fought a duel and got yourself cut to ribbons."

Sieg was immediately gripped by panic. "But... Doctor, I'm begging you, my wife and I, we're trying to start a family. Please, if you could just clear me to leave, I'd be eternally grateful."

"Alright alright, enough grovelling," Sara interrupted. "Your wounds have mostly healed, and so long as you don't do anything foolish, they should stay closed."

"Thank you doctor," Sieg replied, breathing the biggest sigh of relief in his life.

"That having been said, please don't overdo it."

"I won't, doctor. Thank you!" Sieg leapt off the bed and rushed towards the door.

"No running in the hall!" Sara called out, but Sieg was already gone.

Sieg ducked and weaved his way around doctors and nurses as he sprinted for the exit of the healing guild. The guild was busier than usual, many of the occupants expectant mothers waiting for their time.

"One week with Marien! I'm not wasting a second of it!"

As Sieg reached the lobby, the front entrance door was there, tantalizingly close. But just as his hand touched the wood, a voice called out, "Mr. Kolvest, a moment!"

"Yes, what is it?!" Sieg demanded, swinging around, "I have to go and-" he froze when he saw that it was Lieutenant General Silver that had called out to him. The General was sitting on one of the benches against the waiting room wall, along with a number of very nervous looking males.

"General!" Sieg called out, snapping into a salute. As he saluted the General, Sieg again had the strangest feeling that he had seen him sometime before the duel.

Sieg was forced to step away as the guild's front door swung open and a male and female entered. The male was looking around with eyes as wide as dinner plates and his wife breathing hard and clutching her very pregnant belly.

"That isn't a good place to be standing around," Kent called out. "Come, join me."

"Y-yes sir!"

"How are you, lad?" Kent asked as Sieg approached the bench and sat down next to him.

"Much better, sir. Thank you," Sieg replied, unable to take his eyes off the male and female that had just entered.

Kent noted Sieg's fascination and smiled. "I remember my first time coming through those doors like that. That was our first born, Zelda. Sara was calm as an ocean breeze, and I was so scared I couldn't breathe."

Kent leaned back and folded his hands behind his head. "I've been involved in a dozen charges and sneak attacks. I've run through volleys of arrows and dodged rocks from catapults. I was even once forced to swim to shore in a storm when the ship I was on broke in half and sank. But nothing terrified me as much when Sara looked at me and said 'it's time'."

Watching as the male and his wife were ushered into the back by a pair of doctors, Sieg nodded. "It sounds wonderful, sir."

Kent looked down at Sieg. "So why haven't you started your own family yet?"

"Well... we've been trying but-" Suddenly, Sieg froze. "The license!"

"Mmmmm?"

"I forgot... I need to go and get a license." Sieg lowered his head into his hands and his ears drooped, "Marien said she would be waiting for me..."

"Lines probably out the door by now," Kent mused. "Even if you got there now, I doubt you'd be able to get a license before the offices closed for the night."

Sieg felt his heart drop into the bottom of his stomach. But just as he resigned himself to failure, an idea crossed his mind.

"G-general?"

Smiling to himself, Kent looked over at Sieg, "Yes?"

"I... I know I have no right to ask... and please pardon me for my rudeness... but is there anything you could do?"

"What did you have in mind?"

"Well I..." Sieg swallowed hard, "Perhaps you could... help me get a license?"

"You mean bump you forward in line?"

"I... I suppose so."

Kent raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Kolvest, I am shocked that you would even ask for such a thing."

"I..." Sieg's ears dropped again, "My apologies, General."

"Well," Kent slapped his hands against his knees and got to his feet, "Shall we?"

Sieg raised his head, "Sir?"

"You want that license don't you, let's go."

Sieg's mouth fell open, "B-but you said-"

"I said I was shocked, not that I wouldn't do it."

Sieg leapt to his feet, "Sir, are you being serious?"

Kent nodded. "Come on, if we hurry we can get you home before dark."

===

"Every single one of them," Marien panted as she climbed the stairs to Sieg's apartment. "I'm going to go back there and skin each and every one of them, starting with that crazy bitch Alwyn."

The journey to Sieg's apartment had been hell. Every step had sent shivers up her body, every scent felt like a direct assault on her nose, and the rampant pheromones in the air did nothing to help. The only thought that had kept her from leaping on the nearest male had been the thought of Sieg.

The males, they had been a nightmare all their own. Each and every one that she passed had sniffed the air and stared at her. Marien wasn't certain what was more humiliating, the stares, or the fact that their stares only seemed to arouse her more.

Pulling the spare key out from under a potted plant, Marien unlocked the door to Sieg's apartment.

"Sieg, clothes off, now!" She called out as she stepped inside. But Sieg's apartment was dark, no candles lit and the fireplace was cold.

Marien looked around, "Sieg?"

As she looked around, she noted a small jar of honey sitting on the table with a little red ribbon tied on top. Under the jar was a note written on a piece of parchment.

"Something sweet for my precious son. Your father and I love you very much." Marien read aloud as she retrieved the note. "Love, Mom."

A warm smile crossed Marien's face as she replaced the note beneath the jar.

"He said he'd be getting out of the hospital today... Maybe he went to go get something." Marien sat and rested her arms on the table, her fingers drumming rapidly on the wood. "I'm sure he'll be home soon."

As the seconds turned to minutes, Marien felt as if she were going to explode.

"Where is he?" She growled. "Where-" And then it struck her.

"The license! He must have gone to get it! If I hurry I can meet-"

As Marien turned towards the door she paused. The thought of going back outside was unappealing, especially the idea of standing in line.

With a growl of frustration, Marien climbed to her feet and began pacing. "Okay, calm down," she thought to herself. "You are a Basitin warrior, you spent three days in the rain waiting for orders, you can wait for a few hours. You just need something to occupy yourself."

Taking a knife from the kitchen area and a chunk of wood from the stack beside the fireplace, Marien sat down at the table.

"You don't understand, but you will," Marien growled to herself in a parody of Alwyn's voice as she started hacking at the piece of wood. "If this doesn't work, I'll carve her ass into fritters!"

===

Peering at Kent over the top of his half moon spectacles, the ancient Basitin clerk raised a single, long grey eyebrow. "General, this is highly irregular."

"Nonsense," Kent replied, hands on his hips. "I already told you, this is a matter of military importance."

"It is a matter of military importance that this young man," the Basitin pointed at Sieg with the back of his quill, "gets a mating and conception of offspring license?"

Kent nodded, "Indeed."

"And what possible concern could this be of the military?"

"That's on a need-to-know basis."

The clerk let out a long, heavy sigh. It wasn't so much that he cared about Sieg and Kent coming into his office, but rather he found any kind of aberration or interruption intolerable. Usually his job was tedious, tiresome and utterly without deviation, just as he preferred it.

"Young ones," he grumbled inwardly. "So impatient and disrespectful, what a disgrace."

For his part, Sieg tried his best to be as invisible as possible, hunching his shoulders and pulling his helmet down as far as he could. Outside the clerk's office was a long line of impatient Basitins, all of whom had glared at Sieg and Kent as they had made their way to the front of the line.

With another long drawn out sigh, dripping with barely hidden disdain, the clerk looked back down at the forms on his desk. "General, I have a great deal of work to do...."

"So fill out the paperwork and get a move on."

Sensing the futility of continuing to argue, with a subtle grumbling under his breath, the clerk set about filling out the forms.

"Name?" the clerk asked.

"Sieg Kolvest," Sieg replied, trying to keep his voice down so no one outside of the room could hear him.

"Age?"

"Twenty."

"Mate's name?"

"Marien Kolvest."

"Maiden Name?"

"Gail."

"Age?"

"Twenty one."

"Mating cycle?"

"Third."

"Prior offspring?"

"None."

"Medical conditions?

"None."

"Criminal history?"

"None."

"Authorizing Reference?"

Sieg paused, "Uh..."

"That would be me," Kent spoke up.

The clerk rolled his eyes, "Of course..."

The questions continued for several minutes until, with a final flourish of his quill, the clerk finished. In a single smooth motion he pulled his trusty stamp off of its pad and brought it down on the papers. Taking a moment to make certain the seal was legible, he replaced the stamp on its pad.

"Here you are, Mr. Kolvest," the clerk grumbled, sliding the papers towards Sieg. "You have one week to complete your mate and attempt conception of offspring. Best of luck, long live the king."

"Thank you," Sieg said, bowing his head. Turning back to Kent, he said, "General, shall we-"

Suddenly, realization flooded through Sieg. "This is where I know you from! You were here when Marien and I got our first license!"

Kent laughed out loud, "Took you long enough. I was wondering when you'd figure it out!"

With an irritated grunt, the clerk spoke up, "Excuse me gentlemen, but I have a great deal to do and this has already taken up far too much of my time. If you would kindly get out?"

"Ah, of course." Kent clapped Sieg on the back, "Come, let's get out of this good man's way."

With another grumble under his breath, the old clerk watched as Sieg and Kent left. Pulling a blank form off the stack beside him, he dipped his quill, and called out, "Next!"

===

The light of the afternoon was fading into the light of evening as Sieg and Kent left the administration building.

As they walked down a set of stairs leading into the courtyard of the massive administration complex, Sieg turned to Kent, "General... I want to thank you for your help."

"Don't worry about it," Kent replied. "Bit of a pain though, isn't it?"

"You can say that again," Seig grumbled, patting his pocket again to make certain that the license was there. "Last year, Marien and I got into line in the morning, and ended up waiting overnight until the offices opened again the next day."

Kent whistled, "That is a long one."

Sieg sighed as he stared at the line that snaked out of the entrance of the building and around roughly half of the administrative courtyard. There were even vendors making their way along the line, selling water and roasted meat to those waiting.

"Sir... it's not that I don't appreciate what you did for me." Sieg looked up at Kent, "But... Why are you helping me?"

"Seemed like the right thing to do," Kent shrugged. "I'm the one who trained Lyon to fight, so I feel a little responsible for what he did to you. Apparently I should have paid more attention to teaching him manners."

"Oh, I see."

"Well, that, and I can't imagine things haven't been too easy for you, with a Western wife and a father like Conrad."

Sieg paused. "Wait, you know my father?"

"I served with the Second Legion for a few years, until your father kicked me out."

"You were kicked out?!"

"Yep."

"Why? How?" Seig asked, protocol shrugged aside by surprise.

Kent smiled to himself. "Well that's a long story. Let's just say... I found certain procedures to be a waste of time and energy. Procedures like what we just had to deal with."

A strange shudder went up Sieg's back and he paused. Despite his casual tone, the General's words set off alarm bells in his mind.

Clearing his throat, Sieg turned to Kent. "What do you mean, sir?"

Stepping onto a patch of grass beside the stairs, Kent gestured for Sieg to join him.

"It just seems rather silly, don't you think?" Kent said as Sieg sat down next to him. "To have to go through so much hassle for something so simple."

As Kent met Sieg's gaze, Sieg felt another shiver run up his spine. Though the General's face still bore the same friendly smile as before, something in his eyes had changed. Sieg had seen that look before, that searching, calculating gaze. He was being tested.

Kent gestured around the plaza, "So many of these couples, wasting valuable time, waiting in line for a license for something so... private, so fundamentally personal. All the resources and time and effort being wasted on this foolishness."

"But it's the law," Sieg replied, picking his words carefully.

"It is. But then again, laws can change."

"So... you want this law to change?" Kent didn't respond, but Sieg pushed on. "You are a Lieutenant General, your word holds immense weight. If you want something to change, why don't you change it?"

"You're probably too young, but do you remember the Red Summer War?"

Sieg paused for a moment, surprised by the sudden shift in the conversation. "No, sir."

Kent sighed and shook his head. "They should have taught you about it during your training, but then again it's not a story that the military is particularly fond of sharing."

Kent leaned back and stared up at the sky. "To make a long story short, the fourth legion punched a hole in the Western line and launched a large-scale invasion of Western territory. The fourth legion occupied several Western settlements, burned a major shipyard, crippled supply routes, and managed to hold a key Western fort for nearly a year."

Sieg tilted his head, "If it was so successful..."

"Why have you not heard about it?" Kent finished for him. "Simple, it was a complete disaster. The Westerners realized that the fourth legion was too strong to be engaged directly. The fourth beat the Western army in every engagement. But while they were winning on the field, Westerner raiding parties were able to destroy the fourth legion's supply lines. They also managed to close the mountain pass we used to get into Western territory."

Kent sighed heavily, his eyes gazing a point light years away as he spoke. "The fourth legion was run ragged, chasing raiding parties and phantom armies. They tried to retreat back to our territory, but the Westerners had dug in and reinforced their lines. Finally, we took and occupied a fortress, figuring they could draw the Western army into a major engagement. Instead, the Westerners destroyed the larders as they retreated, burned down the surrounding forest, and dammed the river."

A dark shadow crossed Kent's face. "We had no food, no water and no means of retreat. All the while, the Western forces just sat outside the walls and waited, merrily munching on supplies they had taken from our own supply trains. By the time we surrendered, a third of us had starved to death."

"Us?" Sieg's eyes widened, "You were there?"

"I was, just three years older than you are now" As Kent spoke his hand moved subconsciously to his chest, to a scar hidden beneath his tunic. "I had been hurt rather badly, so I was allowed to return home along with the other wounded. The Westerners held the rest of the fourth for nearly a year, forcing them to repair the damage that they had caused to farms and communities. Eventually they were traded back for prisoners our army had taken, but not before another quarter of the legion died."

Sieg was uncertain of what to say. The look on Kent's face was haunting, a picture of pain and dull rage. Despite his best efforts, the best Sieg could come up with was, "I'm sorry that happened to you."

With a friendly chuckle, Kent put a hand on top of Sieg's head. "It was terrible, but it did teach me a few things."

"It's possible to win every battle and still lose the war," Sieg nodded. "Major Dauntless taught us that."

"Thank the heavens for that woman." Kent shook his head, "There will never be another like her, I swear."

Clearing his throat, Kent lowered his hand and turned to Sieg. "You're probably wondering what this has to do with what we were talking about."

"You're saying that... there is no point in repealing one law, if the entire system is broken." Screwing up his courage, Sieg took a deep breath, "And do you think the system is broken, sir?"

"You're the one who just had to ask a favour of a general just so you could get permission to make love to the woman you married." Kent looked sideways at Sieg, "You tell me."

Sieg searched Kent's face, looking for any sign of trickery, but found nothing. Carefully he withdrew the license from his pocket and stared down at it.

"I don't know," Seig said at last. "I think... there are things that make sense, and things that don't. But it does seem unfair. I mean, you were able to march right to the front of the line and get what you wanted." Sieg looked up at Kent, "Not that I'm not thankful of course. But..."

"But you don't know why you deserve special treatment."

"No, sir."

"Truth is, I think that if you have power, you have an obligation to use it. I may not be able to change our society, but if I can make it easier for just a few, that's enough for now."

"I think I understand." Sieg bowed his head. "And I do appreciate your help General, I am in your debt."

Clapping Sieg on the back, Kent climbed to his feet. "You're a good lad. Despite having a father that could give you anything, despite having the easy road laid out in front of you, you've chosen your own path, a harder path but it's the one you chose for yourself. I like that about you, and it gives me hope for the future."

Sieg also clambered to his feet, "Thank you, General."

"I should get home, Sara will be waiting for me, and you should probably get home to that wife of yours." Kent reached into his pocket and withdrew a small silver disc and pressed it into Sieg's hand, "Before you do, I want you to have this."

Sieg stared down at the disc. It was a coin, but not one he had ever seen before. On the back was the face of a Basitin that Sieg found vaguely familiar. As he stared down at the coin, a realisation flashed through his mind.

"That's General Alaric.".

"I'm sure you've heard the rumours that were floating around about General Alaric before he died."

Sieg looked up at Kent and nodded, "I heard some of them at least."

Kent reached out and closed Sieg's fist around the coin. "The next time you find yourself having doubts, come to my house, show my guards that coin, and we'll have a talk."

"Of course General... Thank you."

As Kent started to walk down the stairs, he turned back to Sieg, "Oh, one last thing, something I've been meaning to ask."

"Yes, sir?"

"When we first met, did you actually follow my advice?"

Siegs face turned a little red, but he nodded, "Yes, sir."

"And?"

"It was..." Sieg smiled as pleasant memories rose to the surface. "It was good advice, General."

"Glad to hear it." Kent turned and walked down the stairs, "Have a good week Mr. Kolvest. Make it count."

As Kent strode away, Sieg looked down at the coin in his hand. After a moment he folded it inside the license and slipped them back into the inside pocket of his tunic.

===

"There... finished."

Setting down her carving knife, Marien leaned back in her chair to admire her masterpiece. A wooden statue of a Basitin warrior.

The warrior's left ear was larger than his right, he leaned a little to the left, and his sword wasn't nearly as straight as she had intended, but nonetheless it was complete.

As she examined her work, the burning need and frustration came roaring back. Marien considered starting another carving, but immediately discarded the idea.

Climbing to her feet, Marien grabbed hold of the broom and set about sweeping the considerable number of shavings into a pile beside the fireplace.

"Just keep busy... just have to keep busy."

As she swept, Marien looked out of the window. The sun was just beginning to slip behind the houses, the horizon burning a deep orange.

"Where are you Sieg?" Marien groaned, resisting the urge to snap the broom handle across her knee.

As she paced around Sieg's apartment, Marien had an idea.

"Sieg will be home soon," she thought to herself as she pulled her shirt over her head. "So, I'll have a surprise waiting for him."

As she removed her clothes, she neatly folded them and placed them at the end of Sieg's bed. Standing in just her fur seemed to help quiet some of the screaming inside of her, allowing her to breathe a sigh of relief. At the very least it allowed her to cool down.

Climbing onto Sieg's bed, Marien removed her ankle coverings and arranged the sheet so that it was only just barely covering her waist and ankles. Satisfied, she leaned back luxuriously, one hand behind her head and experimented with different facial expressions.

"Half closed eyes? Should I smile? Maybe I should lick my lips? Should I go sultry... or maybe shy?"

Marien frowned, none of the expressions she tried felt quite right. As she lay there, the blanket began to feel hot and itchy, and the shape of the mattress made lying in a sensual repose rather uncomfortable. With a moan of frustration she sat back up and crossed her arms.

"Who am I kidding, I don't know the first thing about this... kind of stuff," she growled, her claws digging deep into the mattress.

"Just relax," she thought to herself, taking a deep calming breath and forcing her to pull her claws back in. "Just relax and think."

Though the feelings and sensations coursing through her made it very hard for Marien to concentrate. She tried to focus on the memories of the forbidden romance book hidden in the fortress library.

"She lay upon a bed of roses, a single bloom between her teeth. Her bosom heaved as she beckoned for Renello to come unto her. Her mind raced with burning desire as Renello did as he was bid, his robe falling to the floor as he approached. His muscles rippled as he-"

Just the memory of the passage filled Marien with a flood of heat. With a low, frustrated groan she lay her head on the mattress, her breath coming in gasps.

"Sieg... where are you..." she moaned into the mattress

Suddenly, her eyes flew open and she sat straight up. "Flower in the teeth!"

Wrapping herself in a sheet, she padded over to Sieg's front door. As carefully and quietly as she could, she opened the door just enough to peek at the plants on Sieg's landing. Her heart sank, none of them had flowers.

Careful not to open the door too much, Marien reached out and snapped off a sprig on the closest plant. Bringing it to her nose she sniffed.

"Parsley..." Marien frowned, "Is parsley sexy?"

"Stupid!" she growled, throwing the sprig of parsley on the ground. Again she crossed her arms and grumbled in frustration.

"What's sexy in here..." she thought to herself, scanning Sieg's apartment. "Light a fire, lie in front of it? Warm, primal... No, no the last time we did that I got a splinter in my tail, couldn't sit down for three days."

Her eyes settled on her armour, "Maybe have him come in and I'm wearing just my armour?" She thought for a moment and shook her head, "No... too barbarian."

Her gaze settled on the pillows on Sieg's bed. "Perfect!" she announced, grabbing hold of the knife she'd left on the table. Kneeling on Sieg's bed, she used the knife to cut a small hole in the side of the pillow.

Reaching into the pillow, Marien hunted around for a feather large enough to suit her needs. Eventually she found one, a long piece of down with a delicate curve to it.

"Feathers!"

Setting the pillow aside, Marien looked down at the feather. "Okay... now what?"

The idea that had seemed so brilliant mere moments ago had completely abandoned her. She tried putting the feather in between her teeth, but swiftly found that the delicate down fibres tickled her nose and made her sneeze.

"Damn it all!" Marien cried out, throwing the feather away. She flopped down on the bed.

"I can't stand it anymore!" She moaned.

As she stared up at the ceiling, Marien was struck by one final idea. Leaping to her feet she dashed over to the table and seized the bottle of honey.

Tearing off the ribbon, Marien cracked open the lid and took a sniff. The sweet smell of clover honey made her nose tingle.

With a grin she started back towards the bed with the honey. "Sieg is going to get something sweet alright."

===

By the time Seig reached his neighborhood the streets were growing dark. The street lamps were lit, and through the various illuminated windows Sieg could see the outlines of reunited couples.

Sieg shoved his hands into his pockets. "I wonder if Marien went home."

As he walked, Sieg's mind kept drifting back to the conversation with General Silver.

"I wonder what he meant...." Sieg muttered to himself. "Could General Silver be a revolutionary? No... he's a General after all. But then again, the way he was talking..."

Sieg shook his head. "Dammit, I don't want to get caught up in all of this. I just need to get home and see Marien. Marien is all that matters."

Sieg was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't see the female Basitin coming in the opposite direction, her head lowered and a basket of eggs in her grip.

With a loud crunch, Sieg and the female smacked directly into one another. The basket tumbled to the ground, most of the eggs rolling into the street. The female cried out and fell to the ground while Sieg stumbled back, the front of his tunic covered in smashed egg.

After taking a moment to steady himself, Sieg stepped forwards. "Holy- Are you all right?"

"Ouch," the female said, rubbing her rear. "I sat on my tail."

"I'm so sorry!" Sieg hurriedly started gathering the eggs and putting them back in the basket. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

"No no," the female replied, picking herself up and brushing off her dress. "I... well I wasn't watching where I was going either."

"Are you alright?"

"I think so."

Picking up the last of the eggs that hadn't been smashed, Sieg straightened and handed her back the damaged basket. "I'm sorry about the eggs."

"It's no problem, I probably had too many anyway." As the female reached out to take the basket, her hands touched Sieg's.

As their hands touched, the female blushed and turned her head shyly. "Um... Hello. My name is Naomi, Naomi Lindt."

Sieg blushed a little as he met Naomi's big green eyes. "Sieg, Sieg Kolvest."

"Sieg? That's a cute name."

"Really?"

Naomi nodded, "It's sweet."

Turning even redder, Sieg swallowed hard. "I've... never seen you before."

"Oh, I'm new in town. I just moved here from a small settlement in the south." Naomi looked around, "I'm a little lost. I think I've never been in a city this big before."

Sieg nodded quickly. 'Yes it is... certainly... big."

"Perhaps..." Naomi looked down at her feet before looking back up at Sieg, "Perhaps you could show me around sometime?"

"I... uh..."

"If it's not too much trouble." Suddenly Naomi's eyes widened and she stepped forward and put her hand on Sieg's chest. "Oh no, your tunic! I'm sorry!"

"No! No, it's fine." Sieg took a step back and cleared his throat. "Look, I don't have any money at the moment but please, I'd like to pay you for the eggs."

"I understand. Well... perhaps there is another way you could pay me." Naomi's face burned with embarrassment as she hugged the basket close to her chest. "I'm actually here all on my own and I was thinking... maybe it would be nice to have some company."

"Oh no, no no no!" Sieg stepped back, "I'm sorry, I have a wife."

"Oh! Oh, I'm so sorry!" Naomi looked away. "Please forgive me, this season has just been... much more intense than I am used to. I don't mean to be so forward, it's not... it's not how I usually am."

"No, it's fine," Sieg said quickly. "It's not that I wouldn't love to, but... I really need to get home."

"I completely understand, please forgive me Sieg." Looking back up at Sieg, Noami smiled warmly. "Your wife is a lucky woman."

"Thanks." After a moment Sieg spoke up, "Well, look, I'm actually a town guard, so if you are new in town I'd be happy to give you a guided tour after this week."

"Really!" Naomi's eyes widened with excitement, "That would be amazing! Thank you Sieg!"

"I'll be down on the dock, you can find me there." Sieg turned and started back towards his apartment.

"I'll be there!" Naomi called back.

As Sieg turned a corner and vanished, the warm, slightly embarrassed grin on Noami's face faded and was replaced by a sly smile.

"So that's him," Shani purred. "Conrad didn't mention how cute he was. Oh little Sieg, the fun you and I are going to have."

Tossing the basket of eggs into an alleyway, Shani folded her hands behind her back and strode off into the night, a jaunty tune on her lips.

"This is going to be even better than I imagined."

===

With an exhausted sigh, Sieg climbed the stairs to his apartment. By now the light in the sky was long gone

"What a day... I bet Marien's already asleep," he muttered, fumbling for his key.

As he opened his door, the sight that greeted Sieg made him freeze.

Marien stood naked in the center of the room, her fur matted and covered in honey and down feathers. In one hand she held a half empty jar of honey, and in the other the torn open remains of a pillow.

For a few moments the two stood and stared at one another.

"Marien... what the-"

Before Sieg could say another word, Marien lunged at him like a wild animal. Seizing the front of his tunic, Marien pulled Sieg into a passionate kiss. Sieg was surprised, but soon found himself eagerly participating.

Breaking off the kiss, Marien looked Sieg in the eye, her breath coming in desperate pants, "I need you, right now!"

"But-"

Marien started dragging Sieg towards the bed, "Right now!"

"O-okay!"

As Marien dragged him, Sieg's tail started to thump against his leg excitedly. Sieg's face turned red as other parts of him began to react as well.

With a low growl, Marien flopped onto the bed, dragging Sieg down on top of her.

After another wild kiss, Marien began pulling his shirt over his head.

As Marien tore at his clothes, Sieg pulled away, "Whoa, whoa, Marien, just wait a second!"

"No seconds! Clothes off, now!"

"Wait! Just hold on a second, Ow! Marien, your claws!"

"Come on, come on!" Marien snarled, her eyes wild with lust and excitement. As Sieg tried to bat her hand away, Marien dug in with her claws.

Sieg cried out in pain,"Marien stop!"

Marien froze as Seig fought to catch his breath for a moment.

"What has gotten into you?" Sieg demanded, looking down at his hand, blood welling up from where Marien had scratched him. "You're acting crazy!"

"I...I didn't mean to... "All of a sudden, Marien started to tear up. "Dammit..." she groaned, rubbing her eyes, "Dammit dammit dammit!"

"Marien!" Seig leaned close and cupped her face as tears began to stream down Marien's cheeks, "What's wrong?"

"I took some medicine to help us have a child," Marien said between wimpers. "And it's making me crazy! I can't think, I can't eat! I tried to be all sexy for you... and now I'm covered in honey and feathers and I feel like an idiot." Marien squeezed her eyes shut and looked away from Sieg, "I'm so humiliated..."

With a sympathetic sigh, Seig brushed Marien's hair away from her eyes. "Marien...." Sieg turned Marien's head towards him and put his forehead against hers, "You are already the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, honey or not."

"Really?" Marien asked, sniffing loudly.

"Yes." Sieg put a hand on Marien's face and gently kissed her nose, "I love you."

Marien's heart felt like it was melting as she nodded and pulled Sieg into her arms, "I love you too."

"Now," Sieg reached up and pulled his shirt over his head, "How about we do this properly, with less scratching."

"I'd like that."

Sieg and Marien's fingers intertwined as they slowly leaned towards one another.

"I love you Marien."

"I love you Seig."

End of Part 8

Hope you enjoyed! More is coming soon! Will Also upload a NSFW Version once it is finished.

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