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Extra Chapter

The Last Shemale Queen

Tala wasn't surprised when Achai acted like a brat at his own wedding. She knew the brattiness was probably something he had inherited from Grandpa Kilyan's sister Zalia, their cousin Enya in the sun village, and - most likely of all given that she was one of their closest relatives - Aayan's mother, the fox queen Wynonna, who - to hear Kilyan tell it - had been no docile child.

Tala thought she would die of laughter when Achai shoved princess Atian. She fully expected Atian - warrior princess Atian, who imitated her tough big sister Yanaba to a T -- to get up and punch Achai's lights out. When the two of them started playing in the mud like children, she was visibly relieved. Everyone was.

Mud-covered Achai and Atian were taken around the back of the grand hut and into a quickly erected tent. It was there that they were cleaned of the mud and dressed for the ceremony again. When they returned to the festivities, Atian was blushing a little and seemed awkward and embarrassed, and Tala knew it was because Achai had seen her naked for the first time. She was a princess who had worn clothing all her life: no male had ever seen her naked before.

Achai and Atian stood on the dais and were married by a village elder. Afterward, everyone fell to dancing, drinking, and swarming the banquet tables. Like happy children, Achai and Atian spun around the dance floor together. Achai could dance but Atian could not, and she could hardly keep up with her new husband. There was much laughter as she stumbled and finally had to resort to dancing on Achai's feet. But she was happy and glowing and laughed girlishly at her on clumsiness.

Sitting at a table and nursing a glass of wine, Tala watched happily as Yatokya cut in and began to dance with his little sister. Tala smiled: Yatokya couldn't dance either. He and Atian fumbled and bumbled, bringing on more laughter to that already glorious day.

Meanwhile, Moema stepped up and curtsied to Achai, and the two of them began to dance. Tala smiled sadly as she watched her little sister. Moema resented her for leaving and going far away. She had always promised that she wouldn't . . . but she married Yatokya and left anyway. And she couldn't make Moema understand that it was for the best. Even now, Moema was distant and polite to her and seemed to have no better understanding. Iniwa comforted Tala that it had everything to do with Moema's teenage brain. When she grew up, she would understand, and she would forgive.

"Tala?"

It was Seleste's voice. Tala glanced up and smiled to find her mother standing over her table. "Why aren't you dancing, honey? You look sad."

I have every reason to be sad. "I'm not sad," Tala lied. She smiled for her mother's benefit.

Seleste knew her daughter and knew she was lying, but she nodded uncertainly as she decided not to push. "Alright. I'll --"

"May I have this dance?"

Tala smiled to see her grandfather approach Seleste and bow. Kilyan looked quite handsome in his brown feathered cape and matching mane feathers - which he was allowed to wear to the ceremony because his wife was a council member.

Out in the crowd, Tala could see Avi dancing with her uncle Aviine. Avi was wearing a long white skirt and matching top for the ceremony. White feathers were in her mane and she was as happy and laughing as everyone else. She was shorter than her sons, of course, and seemed to grow shorter as each year passed. Much like Atian, she was so little and so awkward that she had to dance on Aviine's feet.

Tala was born when Uncle Aviine was still underage and living at home, so he had always been more like a big brother than an uncle. She thought he looked so handsome now, towering over Avi with blue feathers in his gray mane. His wife - the winged female Dezzira and Inden's daughter - stood at one of the banquet tables laughing with Lea, Ohana, and Iniwa.

Seleste's lashes fluttered as Kilyan offered his arm. "Of course," she said, smiling as she slipped her arm in his. She and Kilyan went to the dance floor. He said something that made her giggle, and they began to dance.

"Look at your grandfather," Keme said, approaching Tala. He sat beside her with a grin and set his food-laden plate on the table before him. "Putting the moves on my wifey! The nerve!"

Tala laughed girlishly as she watched her father tuck into his plate. More than anything, she had missed Keme's bad jokes. She thought he looked wonderful now, dressed in his brown feathers and necklaces and smelling of perfumed oils. But Keme would always look wonderful to her.

Keme stuffed crabmeat in his cheek, his scowling eyes fixed on something in the distance. Tala followed his gaze and gasped to see Kima about to put a large stone in her mouth.

"Kima!" Keme barked, spitting crabmeat. "No!"

Kima halted and scowled. The little girl dropped the stone . . . then picked up a banana from the nearby banquet table and crammed it in her face instead.

"She's too big to still be sucking on everything in sight," Tala said with a frown.

Keme snorted. "It just means she gonna be ah cocksucker."

Tala laughed.

"So . . . why is Daddy's bug sulking?" Keme paused over his plate, watching Tala with concern. He frowned at the wineglass she was twirling in her fingers. "And what are you doing drinking wine?"

Tala watched miserably as Keme took the wineglass and firmly set it further down the table. "More and more like your damn mother everyday," he said, returning to his plate. "But then . . ." he laughed. "Better you were like her than me, eh?"

Tala smiled sadly. "Daddy . . . it doesn't matter if I drink or not."

"Why?" Keme looked up from his plate again. He frowned. "You lost the baby?"

Tala's lip trembled. "There was never a baby . . ."

Keme's eyes softened when Tala's eyes filled with unshed tears. He wiped his paws off on a napkin and took her paw. He hated it when she bowed her head and sobbed a little.

"Shh, Little Bug, don't cry," Keme whispered in her ear. He kissed her cheek. "Here . . . don't cry, sit up. We can't let Achai's wedding take a worse turn than it already has."

Tala sniffed and didn't lift her face.

"Hey! If you keep crying, I'll hit you with mud!"

That worked. Tala lifted her face and laughed girlishly through her tears. Keme dabbed her tears away with a napkin.

"Tell Daddy what's wrong."

"We went to see Yuri," Tala admitted dismally and curled her fingers against the tablecloth. It ripped a little, and she winced.

Keme's brows shot up. "You went to the sun village? Are you crazy? Should I tie our tails together?" He looked away and swore. "I knew I shouldn't have let you damn kids go wandering from village to village."

"No, Daddy, don't get angry!"

"Then what should I get?" Keme demanded. For they both knew the sun wolves might have killed Tala once they found out what she was: the sun wolves hated shemales.

Tala frowned. "How else was I going to see Yuri? Yatokya and I were with the mountain wolves - we couldn't ask her to come there!"

Keme nodded grudgingly: that was true. Yuri seemed to hate the mountain tribe with a passion.

"They had magic advanced enough to let us teleport right to the sun village. Right inside Yuri's house. We were in and out. No one ever saw me."

"Ah. So that's why Yatokya agreed to the lunacy. I made him promise never to take you there . . . or else I'd floss with his spine."

Tala laughed sadly. "Daddy," she scolded.

"Why did you need to see Yuri?" Keme asked her seriously. He smoothed his paw over hers. "Is everything alright?"

"We thought I was pregnant," Tala said miserably. "Or I hoped."

"And Yuri did her whammy jammy magic on your womb . . . and found out what?"

Tala looked at Keme hollowly. "I'm barren." Thinking of Eyrrothaz, she suddenly realized she really was the last shemale. She began to cry again.

"Oh, Tala," Keme whispered, putting his arm around her. He pulled her close. She dropped her head on his shoulder, and he dabbed the tears away with a napkin. He rubbed her shoulder and rocked her gently.

"Little Bug, Little Bug, fly through my window," Keme sang, "and find honey candy. Fly through my window, my Little Bug. Fly through my window, my Little Bug . . ."

"And find honey candy . . ." Tala sang, finishing the song. Keme loved to make up songs for his kids. That one was Tala's. He would sing each song to sooth his children when they were upset, and Tala had to admit she felt a little soothed, wrapped in Keme's strong arm - Keme, who was the only one in the world stronger than her, it seemed - and breathing his warm musk, hearing his deep voice. All of it stirred up happy childhood memories and brought on the content it always had. She closed her eyes, thinking that she hated being away from Keme. He would never guess how she had missed him.

"Life doesn't always give you a great set of cards," Keme said eventually. He laughed softly. "I learned that when Zane taught me to play."

Tala laughed too. Uncle Zane was on the dance floor even now, dancing with both his wives at once. Each female was in a big arm, and their tiny pairs of feet occupied a foot each. He kissed their cheeks and they giggled, hugging him close and closing their eyes happily. They both placed their heads on his shoulders and snuggled against him as he rocked, carrying them in slow circles.

"You have to learn to play the paw you're dealt," Keme went on. "If life says you're barren, Tala, then adopt some pups. Make someone else happy. But don't pity yourself."

Tala looked at her father with admiring green eyes. "Yes, Daddy." She smiled when he kissed her cheek.

"Now," Keme said, easing up from the table, "I'm going to go and rescue my new daughter from your clumsy husband. You sit here and practice smiling before you rejoin civilization."

Tala laughed. "Alright, Daddy." She watched as Keme went back to the crowd. He cut in on Yatokya and Atian, taking the young princess by her paw. Atian looked very flustered and awe-stricken, and Tala laughed to herself: the princess thought Keme was handsome. She barely seemed able to string two words together as Keme offered his arm for a dance. He whirled her around the floor, and she didn't stop her awe-stricken staring.

Yatokya watched his sister and father-in-law dancing a while before he came to Tala. "Tala," he said happily, kissing her on the cheek as he took a seat beside her. He looked at her a little worriedly. "So . . . you tell Keme the news?"

Tala drew her wineglass to herself and stared at it. "Yes."

"And? He didn't tear his mane in horror and throw his paws at the sky, screaming whhhhhyyyy?"

Tala laughed. Yatokya's sense of humor had always reminded her a bit of Keme. Perhaps that was the reason why she loved him so. Her long straight mane tumbled around her as she glanced at him fondly and took a sip from her wineglass. "Did I tell you how handsome you look today?"

Yatokya's eyes narrowed. "Alright," he said, peering at her hard, "what do you want?"

Tala laughed at his suspicion. He really looked handsome, though. She hadn't been able to stop staring when he got himself up for the ceremony. It was amazing what a few blue feathers, scented oils, and jewelry could do. The fact that Yatokya was also wearing clothes seemed to do the opposite of what one would expect. Instead of drawing her mind away from his penis, his skirt served to remind her of what large, salty male-meat was behind it. She'd been thinking about his cock since he put the damn thing on.

"It's nothing bad, Yato. I promise."

"So you've said before," he said with a laugh, and snatching her wineglass, he topped it off. "Got to prepare myself for this!" he said when she looked at him in surprise.

"It's not bad," she insisted, laughter in her voice.

Yatokya just looked at her, waiting.

"What would you say to . . . adopting a pup?"

Yatokya's brows shot up: that was the last thing he expected to hear. His lashes fanned down and he cleared his throat, taking her paws in his. "Tala . . ." he began gently, "we travel a lot. And we face a lot of danger. We explore old ruins and magical places that are probably best left alone. Remember that time we got trapped in the ruins of Meketh?"

Tala nodded. They'd gotten trapped there for six days, right along with their five bodyguards. They had decided to go down there to learn more about the magic of the ancient Meketh wolves. Yatokya wanted to go for his book, but Tala wanted to go in order to learn as much as she could about the past. Eyrrothaz had once told her that the key to changing the future . . . was to understand our past mistakes.

"It would be more than irresponsible to bring a child into our _mis_adventurous lives."

"Not a little child," Tala wheedled, pinching her index finger and thumb. "Maybe a big child. A teenager?"

"I'd still be reluctant to . . ." Yatokya sighed. "But at least the kid could carry my papers and books for me. Tiven is getting tired of doing that. Threatened to fuck my face if I made him carry more."

Tala laughed. Tiven was one of their bodyguards and had become a good friend over the years. Tala knew he was attracted to Yatokya and his joking threats probably came from a real place. But he was well aware the princess and prince were not in an open relationship. He was also aware Tala could crush him into fine powder.

"And . . ." Yatokya went on thoughtfully, "at least if we had a kid, we could leave him outside in the camp - rather than drag him through a ruin. He could stay with a few bodyguards, and if we come into trouble, he could get us out of it. Of course . . ." Yatokya looked at Tala pointedly. "This would mean hiring more bodyguards. I couldn't leave a kid of mine alone with just one or two guards. And I don't know if my father would be willing to fund . . ." Yatokya looked off as he realized. "I would have to work!" he said with wide eyes. He looked at Tala. "I mean real work. I'd have to support this kid!"

Tala laughed. "Well . . . yes, Yatokya. That's what it means to be a parent." She laughed again when her husband dropped his forehead in his paw. Yatokya was a spoiled prince and so used to living off Daddy's coin that it hadn't occurred to him that Honiahaka might not support a child of his: Yatokya would have to grow up and do it himself.

"If we plan this carefully, we can do it," Tala insisted, rubbing her husband's shoulder soothingly. "I will work too, Yatokya. The easiest way would be to catch jaguars and anacondas for their skins and pelts - that would make us rich overnight. But Daddy made me promise to stay out of the jungle. I guess I could hunt smaller game . . . maybe mountain lions."

Yatokya laughed weakly. "Yeah," he said, filling her wineglass, "that's so much smaller."

Tala rubbed his shoulder again. "We'll be fine, Yato."

Yatokya looked at her curiously. "And you want this so suddenly. We were content for four years without children, Tala. We hardly even talked about it."

"Because we were having so much fun," she said, and her eyes crinkled up happily as she closed her paw over her husband's. She felt his wedding band press into her fur. It was a sun tribe custom to exchange them, and hers winked on her left paw with embedded emeralds - to match her eyes.

"Alright," Yatokya said, hooking his pinky in hers, "I'm willing to go into this with you. All the way. But where are we going to find this child? Are they growing under rocks now?"

"You know I've been in contact with my aunt."

Yatokya nodded, looking at the wineglass.

While staying with the Lepuna wolves, Tala was able to contact Wynn and find out what had happened in the aftermath of what was now known as The Red Night by the foxes. The Lepuna wolves actually had crystal balls that allowed wolves to communicate over long distances. When Tala used the ball to contact Wynn, her aunt informed her that her head had appeared as a ghostly apparition over her bed - and to never do it again. But she also told Tala that the frost wolves had been buried properly, and she was even in the process of opening an orphanage for the children of the foxes murdered by Achai's raging statues.

Over the years that followed, Tala continued to keep in contact with her aunt - through less rude means, which usually meant letters. Four years had passed since The Red Night, and while the foxes were slowly trickling from one kingdom to another, some foxes simply left Miras Eii altogether and disappeared into the world. In such a chaotic time, no one seemed willing to take on the burden of a bitter unadjusted orphan. There were still plenty for Tala to choose from. She told Yatokya as much, and he nodded again.

"And some of those orphans should be teenagers by now. Angry teenagers . . . whose parents were crushed to death by angry statues. Who know I was there. Who know you were responsible."

"I meant well," Tala said feebly. "I thought I was freeing my mother. I can never make it right or take back what happened, but I can try to make someone else happy. Those kids have nothing and no one because of my actions. Maybe I can give them something - maybe we can."

Yatokya watched her fondly: she had a heart of gold. The heart of a queen. His queen. "Alright, Tala." He lifted the wineglass to his lips and paused. "But if they murder us in our sleep, it's your fault."

Tala laughed and squeezed his paw. "Thank you, Yato."

"Don't thank me, Tala. I have no choice but the help you." He laughed. "Because I love you." He kissed her paw and whispered, "I could do nothing else."

Tala smiled. She rested her head on Yatokya's shoulder, and together, they watched as their family celebrated Achai's wedding.

"I love you too, Yato," Tala eventually whispered.

"Oh, really? Whew. That's a relief."

Tala laughed.