Royal Etiquette

Story by Runa on SoFurry

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Art - Ahro

Writing - Runa

Chief Storm - Storm Gryphon

Dasa - Dasa

Melodion Pangol - Vinn

Talba Ebonoldty - Runa

Vaulix - Runa

Tried something new and crazy with this one: almost all plot, with the porn at the end as more of a footnote or climax instead of being the focus of the whole story. I think the characters, setting, and story are fun to play with here, even if I'm not so sure it holds together all that well at the end (Dasa kinda gets left by the wayside, so I added an epilogue of sorts to rectify that)

In this story, Queen Talba Ebonoldty invites sister Melodion Pangol and her Chief Storm as well as Advisor Dasa to the royal banquet hall for the holidays. While there, truths are shared, passions are exchanged, tests are taken, battles are fought, and so much passion is to be had.


Royal Etiquette

To my dearest sister Melodi:

It has been entirely too long since we spent some time together; it is that time of the year, again, and many of my subjects have taken the week off to spend time with their families. I'm growing lonely without friends or acquaintances to keep company. I would take great honor in your presence this holiday season, so please do come visit. I eagerly await your arrival.

Talba

That was the letter that Melodi received by Oairmail (delivered by the Oairan post network) directly to her treetop home where she spent her days with Chief Storm and his adviser Dasa. It was their own personal quarters, many storeys above the ground-locked homes of their tribe.

Of course, she didn't hesitate to want to leave, but she knew she couldn't just up and leave the chief without letting him know where she'd gone, so naturally she let him know she was spending the holidays with her sister in her castle. Predictably, both Storm and Dasa decided to tag along, leaving the tribe in the capable hands of their third-burd in charge, Commander Lost aided by Sir Cygnovum. Two ferals that were never too far away from one another.

Melodi was a little resentful of their intrusion on her family get-together time, as one of the main reasons she was so eager to leave was to be away from their incessant need to bury cock in her. It seemed not to matter what time of day it was or what the occasion was, either Storm, Dasa, or often both would find a reason for some mating. It's the weekend, time to mate. Harvest time, also time to mate. Need to release some tension, time to mate. Dasa had to 'test' her for bad energy by shoving his dick down her throat then up her rump.

She never denied them. As princess of the tribe, it was her job to moderate the relations between rulers and civilians, and that often meant keeping her chief happy, but sometimes it got to be too much. Ever since their first introduction to Dasa, it was always a game of 'let's see how stuffed they can make Melodi today", and it never let up. Once, they let her lay her egg, only to shove it back into her and try to both knot her at the same time, one in each hole. She tried to enjoy it, but it was quite uncomfortable.

So that's why Melodi was so eager to go and visit Talba. She needed the time away, and 'visiting family for the holidays' is as good a reason as she'd ever get to spend some time away from her overly needy partners. She didn't dislike the attention, nor did she dislike what they did for her, but even the most enjoyable things become work when it's expected on a regular basis. Truly, Melodi was probably the most insatiable of the three and if left to her own devices would demand more of them than they of her, but there were two of them and that became a chore, constantly having to please others. Despite that, Melodi was lucky; they never left her unsatisfied, and would go to endless lengths to make sure she was as pleased as they were before the 'festivities' ended, but a break is nice.

A life of constant pleasure numbs to the same extent that a life of pain does.

Yet here they all were, standing at the great gates to Talba's castle, waiting on a guardsman to let them in. Melodi was knocking at the heavy wood and steel door with her suitors behind her, both dressed up in more formal attire. Storm was wearing a sash with a kilt, all in royal greens and blues with silver coated tassels and an emblem on his chest to match the one on his shoulder. Dasa was wearing his more traditional tribal wear, with feathers and bones adorning his collar and forming a winged appearance over his back.

Melodi wasn't wearing anything particularly fine. She was just going to visit her sister, whereas her suitors were visiting a neighbouring queen. By contrast, Melodi wore only a simple, one-pieced dress of red and silver silk. No jewellery, no formal attire, just a nice dress.

"Who's there?" a voice called out from the other side of the door before a panel of the wood slid to the side to show a beaked face on the other side. It was the guard, wearing a red and orange uniform.

"Lady Melodion Pangol. Hatchmate of Queen Talba Ebonoldty. Here for a feast, was summoned a week ago."

The guard examined her and the two taller males behind her for a moment before sliding the gate panel closed, and tinkering with some locks and levers before opening the doors for the guests. "Welcome lady Melodi. Talba has been eagerly expecting your arrival. Didn't get your letter back saying you'd be here, m'lady." He backed away and bowed as he invited her into the castle yard.

Storm chuckled as they walked by. "Must be nice to be treated as royalty in two kingdoms."

"Shush you." Melodi scolded him. "You are chief at home, you get all the attention. Let me have this here. I'm but a princess here and there. Just remember, here, you are my subordinate." She pointed a talon to the ground as she swayed her tail.

Dasa grunted as he held back a bit of a laugh, rolling his eyes and sweeping his hair back. "Sounds like someone put you in your place, Chief. I'll have to remember that. So is he my subordinate, too?" he asked Melodi.

"No, you are equals here. And don't you forget that you're mine to do with as I please." She was a little irked by their attempt to establish hierarchy. Here, she just wanted to enjoy a weekend with her sister without any talk of power or politics.

After she was done chastising them, they walked silently through the courtyard and up to the massive, ornate doors of the front of the castle. The entire castle itself was raised up on a hill, with a mini-economy of stalls, vendors, and merchants surrounded by a 10m tall wall that was to protect the nobles. It was something Melodi always disliked, the idea that the nobles were somehow superior to the commoners, but that's what it was like when Talba gained power; she had been making an effort to erect a wall around the entire capitol city to protect all its citizens, but it's been a project three years in the making. It was a step. A hatchling step, but a step nonetheless.

Once they were in the noble arena (the term coined for the halo of civilization outside of the castle but within the noble castle walls), they didn't need to worry about guards or checkpoints. They stepped right up to the castle doors and pulled them open to disappear into the castle halls.

Talba's castle really was a beautifully ornate feat of architecture. While most castles and homes were put together with cobblestone or rocks stuck together with mud, while others were wood and straw, Talba's home was chiseled to perfection so that every piece of slate, every panel of stained glass, and every billowing fold of tapestry was perfectly shaped for symmetry and aesthetic appeal. Her Kingdom's colors were that of Red, Orange, Gold, and silver; nearly every element inside her castle was some variation of that color scheme.

Along the walls were Red tapestries with orange patterns and golden tassels dangling by either side. There were gold and silver candle holders on the wall, as well as a silver chandelier hanging from the ceiling meant to reflect the light that streamed in from the portrait of Talba and the Late King made in the stained glass. All the gold, orange, silver, and red was on the gray backdrops of the slate and rock walls, creating a beautiful contrast that was emulated in Talba's fur and feathers.

"Welcome, welcome!" her soft, feminine voice called down from the bannister of the second floor of the castle. It was Talba, eagerly waving down at her guests flanked by her sister. She was smiling wide as some of the castle-maids stood behind her, waiting for something to do. "Come on up! Don't waste, we've got a grand feast waiting for you!"

Much to Storm and Dasa's astonishment, Talba was as much bigger than they were as they were bigger than Melodi. Melodi was about two and a half meters tall, they were each three, and Talba must have been three and a half! An absolutely massive gryph-mare that drew Storm's attention immediately. He couldn't help but stare, doubly so since she was wearing a loose-fitting robe of the same red fabric that lined the castle walls.

Melodi waved back up and turned around to face Storm and Dasa, whispering a warning to them. "And I want you two on your best behaviour. No lewd invitations or suggestions. She's a queen, not some cock-wench."

"You're my queen and I still fuck you raw." Storm joked, the corners of his beak curled up in a smirk as his chest feathers stood on end to make his chest inflate in pride.

"Okay. Not your queen. It doesn't matter. Just be on your best behaviour, she didn't formally invite either of you, so don't muck this up for me!" before they could protest, she turned and briskly walked up the grand stairwell in the middle of the hall, yellow and red dress swaying out behind her as she did so. Dasa and Storm both followed.

Up the stairs, around the bannister, down the hall, and through another set of ornate doors had them all emerging out into a large feast hall adorned with similarly colored gold, red, and silver fabrics as well as silver suits of armor along the pillars that lined the walls, each set for another of the races going from smallest to largest starting at the pair near the door. Feline, Avian, Human, Canine, and finally Equine. No dragon armor, they really didn't need armor.

Sitting at the table was a rainbow-feathered cockatrice with a white muzzle, black beak, and a lot of blues and greens in his plumage to show a strong contrast to the warmer colors of Talba's castle.

"And who might this be?" Melodi asked, cocking her head to the side like an avian tends to do when asking questions.

Talba was standing next to the cockatrice, pulling her own gold-frame and red-fabric chair to the side so she could sit. "Well, this is Vaulix, a good friend of mine and a long term companion to the crown. He will be joining us for dinner."

Vaulix bowed slightly and smiled. "I apologize if my presence has disturbed you. Talba and I have been close acquaintances for many years, now."

Melodi shrugged and walked over to one of the chairs opposite Vaulix. Before she sat down, she pulled out two additional chairs on either side for her chief and the chief's advisor. "Well,Talba, it's an honor to be here."

"Bah, don't speak of honor with me. I'm your clutchmate, not your queen. AS family, you are always welcome. I want your company, so don't bother with formalities. Here, I'll get you started. Tell me about the Chief here. I bet he rides you like a pony!"

Dasa sat his rump down as Storm hovered over his seat, not sure what to make of Talba's sudden and sensual inquiry. Part of him wanted to be offended - Melodi was his - but most of him just loved that Talba was so abrupt. He liked that in a person. He loved that in a ruler. He saw that in Melodi, and it's one of the reasons he was so enamored with his princess. While he did pause, he didn't stutter or act like he was taken aback. Instead, he sat down on his chair and shot a sideways glance to Melodi with a grin. "Well, she is my mare. You can be certain I ride her like one."

"Glad to hear it. I'd hate for her to be underutilized. It's like she never gets out of heat, I remember when she was young, she'd find rocks to shove in herself, told me it was like she was an adult with a clutch!" Talba leaned back in her chair smiled. Even when sitting, she was a full head taller than either Storm or Dasa.

Melodi shrunk down a bit in her seat. Talba was notorious for crossing lines when it came to guests, especially around Melodi. As a queen, she was generally expected to hold her beak high with a regal nobility that repressed most of the more lewd aspects of life. She did not follow typical royal etiquette. Instead, she was famous (or perhaps infamous) for her sexuality and liberated views on it. Rather than remain reserved and quiet, she would happily speak of heat and eggs and her many conquests and desires.

Once, during a feast with literally hundreds of nobles sitting across the many banquet tables, she raised her glass to toast to her desire to be bent over a table and mated deep by some of her equine guests. After that feast, the half dozen of them followed her to her quarters and had her, one after another. She'd told Melodi about this, emphasizing the fact that she had a hard time walking the next day and that she was drooling stallion cum all night; had to get one of her servants to 'lick it clean'.

She had no shame, but as a queen with power and respect - at least when ignoring her lewd behaviour - she could get away with it. She also had no filter from what thoughts popped up in her mind and what slipped from her beak. Even Vaulix looked a little uncomfortable with her outburst.

"Talba, can we not talk about my sexual encounters? Just once? I was kind of hoping we could hang out, girl to girl."

Before Talba could respond, Dasa leaned forward and tapped his claw on the wine glass that was upside down on the table in front of him. "I know what will make this situation a bit less awkward: Wine!"

"Indeed!" both Storm and Talba agreed. Melodi just shook her head.

Dasa and Storm were both insufferable when they were drunk or drinking. It was bad enough that they wanted between her legs every waking moment as it was, but when they were drunk they were practically crawling over one another to get at her, and as princess of the jungle, it was her duty to fulfill that desire.

"Yuka! Come, bring a couple of bottles of wine up from the cellar! Some of the good stuff, not the shit for the commoners." Right as Talba raised a hand, a small human scurried in and wrote something down on a tablet before leaving again. Well, an average sized human. Compared to the others, the human was tiny, even smaller than the relatively diminutive Vaulix, who still seemed to be uncomfortable with the conversation.

"Alright!" Talba continued, rubbing her hands together. "I guess Melodi wants to ruin the mood a bit more, but that's fine. Not everyone can be like me. Frankly, I need more people to be open like this with! My personal advisors have been telling me to hold off on being like that in public, so I gotta get it out somehow!"

Storm chuckled a bit. "Oh, no worries with us. I wouldn't be surprised if the two of us woke up the village with our noises at night. Even Melodi screams like a banshee when she cums."

"Storm, could you not talk about that with my sister? Anyone else I don't care, this is just weird." She held her beak in her palms and shook her head. What a wonderful way to spend a holiday feast, and the food wasn't even here yet.

"Oh look, wine! Wait, do you have any beer? I prefer beer." Dasa inquired as Yuki returned with a massive bottle of purple wine in a green bottle.

"We have it, but I don't stock it in the castle. No need. I could have a servant fetch you a keg of the locally brewed stuff if you want. Pretty rich shit. Thick, almost like syrup, big head, just the way I like em!"

Dasa nodded his approval, held his cup out to be filled with wine, then raised it for a toast. Once everyone had their wine glasses filled and raised, he announced his toast. "To Melodi, who brought us all together, even if she can't keep her legs together!"

A little suddenly, Melodi whipped her head around and grabbed at the bone-necklacs that was around Dasa's neck twisting it to choke him. "Now listen here, I have just about had it with your...uh..." She paused a bit and backed off, letting go of the necklace as she regained her composure. "Seriously, can you stop?"

"Bah, you're no fun." Storm scoffed as he took a sip of the wine. "Hey, this stuff isn't bad. A little sweet for my tastes, but I can see it having a certain depth of flavor I wouldn't expect from most wines. Good stuff. I salute you!" He raised his glass again, deliberately avoiding eye contact with Melodi.

It was then that Vaulix spoke up. "You know, it's very clear that Melodi here is more than a little upset at the three of you. Think you could maybe stop prodding at her and saying stuff like that?" His voice was relatively quiet before taking a sip of his wine. "Doesn't take a psychologist to know you're crossing a line here, guys."

Talba clicked her beak, took a tongue-lash sip at the surface of the wine before setting it down, and looked right at Melodi without saying a word. "Come on Melodi, you know we'd talk about the same shit if it was just you and I."

"Yeah, but-" Melodi was cut off by Vaulix.

"Perhaps the issue is the company she's brought with her. Social etiquette and especially royal etiquette dictates that it's improper to talk about such things with someone you just met. Perhaps if you got to know Chief storm and his advisor Dasa a bit better before talking about her sexual prowess, you'd be less likely to upset her?" it was merely a suggestion, but Talba seemed to take it to heart.

Well, at least partially. "Good point. So, drake and stud, drink up. I have a lot of catching up to do. Can't wait to hear about you two, get to know you."

"That's not what I meant." Vaulix protested with a roll of his eyes.

But Melodi just shook her head. "No, she's right. Just get these guys drunk and They'll tell her exactly where I like to be touched. It's only a matter of time, but I suppose I should have expected it, bringing you two along. The both of you, all you think about is sex. It's wakeup sex, it's meal sex, it's calming sleep time sex, sex for every occasion. I'd have been a fool to think you could go just one meal without indulging my sister's notoriously gossipy nature."

Both Dasa and Storm had their lower jaw and beak gape open, clearly a little shocked at Melodi's polite outburst. She'd never once complained about their libidos. Never.

"Seems my sister has something to say to you two." Talba commentated, her demeanor shifting a bit from playfully jibbing at her sister to a somewhat more serious tone. It wasn't like Melodi to complain about sex. Ever.

"What is it?" Storm asked, clearly a little afraid of the answer he might get.

Dasa reached into his pouch for a bit of powder, whispering some enchantment about banishing negative energy. Melodi grabbed his hand and forced it back into the pouch.

"Stop with that for now, Dasa. I'm serious. I want you two to stop demanding so much of me all the time. It's drying me out."

"Oh, you're never dry-" Storm started, but was interrupted.

"No, shut up, Storm. I don't mind our fun - in fact, I love it - but let me decide when an where. When you two go at me like you do, it makes it a chore for me. Sure, I love it by the end, but in the process, it feels like a chore. Just, from now on, I'll say no when I'm not in the mood. Mmkay?"

There was a dead silence before Storm eventually spoke up. "O-okay then. I didn't know you felt that way."

"Glad you understand. Now, let's eat!"

Luckily, it was that very moment that a wave of servers burst through the door, each with a platter of food raised in their hands to serve each and every one of the guests their own custom meals.

From there, once the cloud of anger had settled, the rest of the night went rather well. They enjoyed their specially tailored meals, Storm was curious how Talba knew his favorite food without him saying what it was - an inquiry that was dismissed as a combination of luck and Melodi's big beak - and they drank. A lot. The four of them (sans Vaulix, who didn't like to drink alcohol) polished off a bottle of wine each. By then, they were all a little loose-beaked and speaking of any and everything that came to mind on a whim.

The topics meandered from one subject to another including foods, entertainment, and eventually combat tactics. That's when things got a bit more interesting for the increasingly inebriated Dasa, Storm, and Talba.

"Wait, so you're telling me you use magic in fights?" Storm asked, leaning over his plate as he took a sip from his wine. "Isn't it considered uncouth to use magic on the battlefield?"

Talba laughed, a deep hearty bellow. "Hah, who cares? I care about my people, I care about my home. Nobody can hold a dagger to my flaming sword. There's a reason nobody wants to go to war with me or my army. Trained my Frontline Soldiers in the arts of magic, so they can decimate an entire opposing army within minutes, or at least incapacitate them."

"What do you mean 'who cares'? One must have honor in battle!" Storm puffed out his chest and raised his head high, displaying his regality.

"Oh, no need to get defensive about it, Chief. We don't use it to launch attacks against others, it's only in defense, protecting our people. I'm sure if I wanted to, I could send my people south and east and take over both other countries here. You know it, I know it. I prefer peace, don't you?"

"Of course I prefer peace. War does nothing good for my people. We're comfortable, but that kind of tax on our resources makes life thin and-"

"Oh shush up, Storm. You know you love to fight." Dasa chimed in before slamming his mug of beer on the table.

Storm shot him a glare past Melodi, practically hissing his disapproval. "Yes, I do like to fight, and I take great pride in my abilities. It's fun. I bet I could take on any of her warriors, with or without magic!"

Talba snorted a bit. "Maybe, but I wouldn't count on it."

"What do you mean? Are you saying that you think your foot soldiers would outclass me - a fighting Chief - in a sparring match? I say bring it on, I'd love to prove you wrong. Or maybe better yet, I'll fight you. As one leader to another!"

Melodi laughed a bit. "I bet my leader can beat up your leader."

"It's not like that, Melodi. Your sister here refuses to play by the rules. In a fair fight, I could take on any of her warriors. I don't need magic to be as skilled a warrior as I am!"

"That may be true, Storm, but I assure you that you do not want to get into a fight with anyone at this table, magic or not." Vaulix piped in, slowly shaking his head.

"It's not a fight, Cockatrice. It's a sparring match. Friendly competition. Let's do this!" Storm got to his feet and opened his wings, smacking Melodi in the beak with one, and the other knocking over a few chairs. He was a little drunk - just enough to lose his inhibitions but not drunk enough to lose his balance. This fact seemed not to matter to him, his pride had been struck by Talba's insistence on superior warriors. Such a statement was a deep insult to him, and he liked to prove his valor through combat as it was the best method for him. He was no fool, but found it easier to physically intimidate someone than to bother trying to persuade people. No point in wasting time when the simplest and most direct conflict resolution was also the most fun and the quickest.

"I have no desire to fight you, Storm. As you said, it wouldn't be a fair fight, but not for the reasons you think. You are an ally, and the mate of my sister. I would not want to hurt you." Talba cooed at him, trying to stop him from getting into any sort of altercation.

Melodi was tugging at his embroidered sash, getting him to sit back down. Dasa was sitting back in his chair with a big smile on his face as he sipped his beer. Vaulix was just shaking his head as he nibbled at bits of food on his plate, clearly a little disappointed that there was clearly about to be a fight."

"Not a fight, Talba. A competition. A match. All in good sportsmanship, just to see who's the better fighter! My skills against yours. Weapons vs magic. We'll see who's tactics are superior!"

Talba shrugged and rolled her eyes. "I suppose there's no talking you out of it, is there?" With that, she slid her chair out from under her and stood straight up, again dwarfing Storm by half a meter (even though storm was considerably larger than most to begin with). "Follow me, we can go to the arena, if you so desire." She walked down to the other end of the banquet hall.

The others all got up and followed. Before they left, Storm picked up a spear for his weapon, as well as a sword and shield.

Down a winding hallway they went until they opened up into a small round courtyard behind the castle surrounded by 3m tall walls. Must have been 20m in diameter, perfectly circular with a dusty arena in the middle, lines of seats around the outer rim.

"Welcome to my personal training grounds. No need to be dour about this. This could be fun! I warn you though, you really and truly don't stand a chance!"

"Psh, what a queen!" Storm dismissed her, spinning a spear around as he got into position opposite her in the arena. "Of course, you think that since you taught your army magic that you can best a seasoned warrior in combat!"

Just then, Melodi leaned over to Dasa and whispered in his ear. "You know, before Talba was queen, she too was a warrior, just as skilled as the Chief and in command of a larger army. Watch, I bet she won't even use magic and still beat him. This is about to be very funny."

Talba stood in place as Storm circled her, shield in one hand, two-handed spear in the other. She truly did dwarf him, even though she was in a beautiful flowing gown that hid her body's size and definition. She shifted her feet a bit so she was always facing her opponent, this time with a smile on her beak. "Tell ya what, storm. In order to make it truly fair, I won't even use magic, except to heal when the match is over."

"No, you use magic. I want you to be at your best when I defeat you!"

She shook her head. "Nope. You're right, that's not a fair fight. In war, you win however you possibly can. If we're gonna have a friendly competition, I will make it fair. No magic."

Disappointed, Storm sighed and tossed the sword and shield off the arena's dusty circle. "Fine, if you're not using your weapon, I won't use mine either."

"Alright then. Come at me, Chief." Talba widened her stance and raised her fists.

Not wanting to dash into any sort of ambush, Storm leaned into her, grappling arm over arm to see who was stronger. Talba was the larger of the two, but Storm had a lower center of gravity and he appeared to be a bit stronger. He quickly dodged downwards onto one knee, wrapped his arms around her waist, and lifted her up off her feet to slam her to the dust.

Only Talba seemed to expect this. As soon as her foot left the ground, she wrapped an arm around his neck and brought him down with her. He effortlessly flipped up onto his paws as she rolled onto her talons, resituating themselves opposite one another.

"Good move." Storm commented as the three spectators clapped in approval at the exhange.

"Don't be afraid to hit me, Storm. I'm no slouch in combat, don't hold back just because I'm queen." As she said 'queen', she lashed out with a claw swipe across his chest that he dodged and countered with another talon slash that she, too, countered.

Back and forth they went, alternating between straight punches, sweeping slashes, and knees that were blocked by the other. At one point, Storm leapt in the air, spreading his wings to flip over her and smack her on the back of the head with his tail. She spun and side-kicked him hard enough that he almost fell out of the circular arena. It was implied that falling out of said circle would constitute a loss.

She dashed forward and faked him out, ducking low before slashing upwards at his chin, connecting with a powerful uppercut that dazed him long enough to have him stumble off balance. A moment later, she'd raised one leg up to wrap her talon around his neck and force him to the ground, just outside the ring of the arena. Talba had beaten him, outclassing him and pinning him down with her foot.

"W-what just happened?" Storm asked as he regained his composure, idly clawing at her calf muscle underneath the equine feathering that covered it.

"Looks like you got beat, Storm." Dasa laughed, still holding his mug of beer and raising it to his fallen Chief's honor. "Does that mean Talba rules our tribe now?"

Storm growled and pushed her talon off him before rolling to his feet. "My tribe. And best two out of three. That wasn't fair." AS he got to his feet, he brushed himself off and shot a glare over to Melodi and Dasa.

Vaulix stepped in between Storm and Talba, playing the peace keeper again. "Tell me storm, how was it not fair? You were ready, she got the better of you, she won."

"I didn't know what to expect. Now I know how she fights in hand to hand combat, let's do two out of three, now we both know what to expect and I know how to beat her."

Vaulix looked over at Talba to see what she had to say about that. In response, she nodded.

"Sure, we can go two out of three, but now I know his style, too." She stepped backwards until she was on her side of the arena, with Storm opposite her. "So, if you're ready, round two, fight!"

This time, Storm waited for Talba to attack first. It didn't take her long to realize he was waiting for her, so she went for the same dash, dodge, fake, uppercut move she'd used to win the first round, but this time she knew Storm was anticipating it, so when he hopped back and punched downward into her, she grabbed his arm and spun around, flipping him over onto his back in the middle of the ring.

Both rolled away from each other and lunged back into the middle, talons exposed and ready to attack. Talba swung and he dodged. He raised one wing to distract and used his opposite talon to slash at her chest, successfully tearing through the fabric and leaving three red gashes in her plumage. She stumbled back and crouched down for a moment before hopping up with a knee to the Chief's beak, once again knocking him off balance.

Rather than letting himself fall back into another flurry of attacks, Storm kicked his way up and spread his wings wide to backflip away from her, kicking her in the side of the face as he did so. He took her resulting disorientation to his advantage, tilted his wings downwards, and dove into her belly, using his wing shoulder to knock the wind out of her. As he stood up, he used the back of his head to hit her in the chin. She stumbled back, and he hit a dropkick in her chest so hard that she flew backwards and hit the wall.

"There we go!" Storm bellowed as he bolted to his feet.

Melodi and Dasa clapped happily while Vaulix cocked his head to the side in surprise.

Talba shook some of the dust out of her mane and got to her feet, pressing her palm against her chest to close the wounds and restore the flesh. "Impressive. Didn't actually expect you to get me that second time." She complimented.

Storm nodded. "To be fair, I didn't expect you go beat me at all, let alone as decisively as you had. Now we're even. Care to up the ante?" He walked over and picked up his spear and shield, aiming the tip of the spear at Talba. "Chose your weapon."

Talba shrugged. "I'm not really a weapon person, but okay." she disappeared into the halls again, emerging a few minutes later with a single, two-handed sword.

"Alright, now we have a fight!" Storm declared as he positioned himself opposite Talba with his spear and shield read for a fight. He was a little shocked to see that Talba pointed the tip towards him, angling her body like a fencer with her free hand raised up. Using the massive blade as though it was a claymore.

"I guess you two can start whenever you're ready." Vaulix announced as he turned and walked out of the circle.

The fight quickly became something of a blur. Storm was quite adept at using a spear and shield combo, and evidently Talba was incredibly fast with the sword. She'd lunge and stab, he would block, dodge, and poke at her, but she'd deflect it, spin around, and slash at him, which he would in turn block again. Block, dodge, stab, jab, and slash back and forth.

As the fight went on, Talba's style shifted to something a bit more exotic. Rather than stiff jabs and slashes with brisk steps forward, she started swinging the sword around and dancing with it, her mane and feathered limbs creating a sort of airy art to her movements. Not wanting to be too distracted, he struck at her but she used full bodied motions to deflect Storm's momentum and smash him on the shield with the butt of the sword, knocking him off balance a bit.

He used his tail to stay steady as he repositioned himself, only to find her lunging at him with another sweeping blow. He deflected it and leaned into her, bringing his spear tip up to the side of her under the arm.

She spun at just the right time to avoid being punctured, grabbing the spear pole and pulling it out of Storm's hands. Once again, she fluttered up onto one talon with both arms up high to slash down at him, a killing blow.

Melodi gasped a bit as Talba seemed to be ending the fight right then and there. Only a few minutes had passed and it mostly looked even until the end, once Storm lost his spear.

Even Dasa leaned forward in awe, shocked to see someone besting what was, to this point, the greatest fighter he'd seen since coming to this world.

Storm, however, was not down and out just yet. He raised his shield high to block her attack, then pushed up into her with all his might, even using his wings for leverage. It worked wonders, so he swirled around and slammed into her again from the other side before lunging forth, using the shield's edge as a weapon. She did manage to get her sword up in time, but it was more of a distraction so he could pick up his spear again than an actual attack. With her still off-balance, he rolled over, grabbed his spear, and got to his feet and in position again.

Talba smiled and cocked her head to the side, lowering the tip of her sword a bit, and thus her guard. "Tell me, does this match excite you, Storm?"

"What do you mean?" He asked, somewhat confused.

She raised her beak high and sniffed at the air. "I can smell your musk. It's thick in the air, and I know it's you. Does fighting me turn you on or something?"

Storm clicked his beak shut as he stared at her, not responding.

"So you do get off on this. Is it just me because I'm a queen? Does this mean something to you? What is it?" She aimed her open hand at him again, widening her stance with the sword out to the side for wide sweeping slashes.

Storm lunged forward with a few stabs that Talba easily deflected before kicking his sword away, long hair of her mane, tail, and calves snaking through the air with each movement.

"I Think I get it now. You find me attractive because you know I'm about to beat you. You know you're outclassed by a queen, and despite that hurting your ego a bit, you love a powerful woman!" She looked over her shoulder at Melodi. "No wonder you took her as your princess!"

Storm saw a brief gap in her defenses, so he lunged at her again in an attempt to run her through with his spear.

Talba effortlessly deflected it without even looking, as it was a deliberate lure for him to do just that as she turned away, goading him into attacking. She slashed the spear in half, spun around behind him, and pressed her blade against his throat, like an assassin about to slit it open. She leaned in close and whispered in his ear as she reached around his body to cup at his crotch, feeling the bulge of his engorged cock within his uniform. "No point in denying it, but I just killed you. I own you now."

Storm's eyes went blank as he dropped the handle of the spear and the shield, absolutely stunned by what had just happened. He blinked a few times to clear his mind as everything clarified. He'd just been beaten by a queen both in hand to hand and weapon combat. An immensely gorgeous queen that shared many of the same traits his princess had displayed. She was right. He was hers, now. She earned it. "But...best three out of five?" He whimpered.

"Nope, I already gave you three chances. You know how it works." Her voice was hot in his ear, sending a tingle down his spine and out to his wing and tail tips.

As soon as his mind had settled, he turned and knelt before his queen. "Then it is decided. I am yours."

"Wait, what?" Melodi butted in, stepping into the circle. "What just happened?"

"I just annexed your Chief, here." Talba gloated as she laid her sword on Storm's shoulder. "He's mine, at least for the night."

"What do you mean, yours? He's mine, Talba. You can't just go stealing mates!"

"Don't worry, Melodi. Look on the bright side, now he will have to please me, instead of you having to please him. It's a win for everyone!" She tossed her sword to the side and allowed her new pet to get to his feet. But he didn't. Instead he scuttled forward and nuzzled into Talba's midsection, grasping at her hands. "Okay, you can stop with this, now. Don't worry, I'll make you work for your honor later, you're not a slave, Chief."

"S-sorry. I've just never met a woman like you before."

"Hello, Storm, I'm right here!" Melodi shouted at him.

"Then why don't you put up more of a fight?"

"If that's what you want, then I'll fight you. Just..Gah!" She turned away and stormed into the castle, not sure what to make of her emotions.

"Well that went over well, Talba. Is Melodi always like this around you?" Dasa asked as he stepped forward.

"Depends. She's not too fond of me taking her men. Been doing it since we were young."

"So why are you still doing it?" Dasa took another gulp of his beer, finishing it off. "I mean, you clearly know it gets to her, and yet here you are, declaring ownership of Storm right in front of her. You sure that's a good idea?"

Talba smirked and lowered her gaze to be a bit more threatening. "IF you want to earn him back, you can do that if you'd like."

Immediately, Storm got to his feet and shook his head. "No, that's fine, we can both be yours. You beat me in a fair fight, twice. I can't not appreciate that."

Dasa didn't seem to be as intent on just letting it go. He may have been more of a joker than a serious advisor, but he did care about Melodi and it was making him feel a little odd for Storm to become so submissive like that. It rubbed him the wrong way a bit. "No, I want to...I dunno. I want a chance to defeat you. If I beat you in a magic fight, Talba, I get you and Storm both as mine for the night. Fair?"

Talba smiled and nodded. "Sounds like fun. Let's do it, but this is a one-off, no best two out of three. I'm getting a little excited and I don't want to waste any time with both of my pets. Storm, go and sit with Vaulix while I beat Dasa, here." She reached under his kilt and cupped his balls a little bit, trailing her claws up his sheathe along his bulging shaft inside before taking a sample of his musk and sniffing her finger for motivation. "If you really think you can best me in a magical contest, I will happily submit to you, at least for the night."

"Good." Dasa took a single step forward as the whites of his eyes smothered his iris and pupils, glowing a bright white as a blue mist billowed up from his body and trailing across his horns into two single trails that arched up into the sky. A moment later, the ground began to glow a deep orange, with beams of light peeking out through the cracks that were forming in the dirt.

With curiosity piqued, Talba stomped at the ground, turning the orange light into blue, as a 'cracking' sound permeated the earth beneath them. As she walked towards Dasa, bits of ice formed around her feet. Rather than do any flashy magic, she was simply negating his. As soon as she stepped up to him, she leaned over and curled her talon up around his chin, leaving a thin layer of ice on his fur, only to permeate into his skin and freeze his arm in place.

Mere seconds later, he smiled and his eyes reverted back to the normal form, with whites, iris, and pupil in normal ratios. "Well, I guess you beat me. Time to head back to your chambers. I'm yours, too!"

She clicked her beak and leaned in really close, whispering in his ear so that nobody else could hear, coaxing a knowing nod from him. A moment later, she pulled away and raised her hands and motioned to Vaulix and Storm. "Come come, we have some satisfaction to seize." She turned and blew through the open doors back down the red-velvet lined halls, leaving Dasa's outer skin to thaw itself. She knew he could do it, so she wasn't worried.

Vaulix and Storm were far behind her, but were still able to keep up.

As soon as she entered her room, she unbuttoned her dress and tossed it to the side over one of her dressers while she opened her trunk. Inside were a dozen toys, whips, chains, shackles, collars, and muzzles. She contemplated grabbing two of the collars to leash her new pets, but instead felt that she would effectively control them without any bondage equipment. Instead, she waited by the door until Storm walked in ahead of Vaulix.

Without skipping a beat, she tackled Storm onto her bed, laying him out on his back with his wings spread over her red velvet. She looked down at him and unclasped his sash with one hand, unbuttoning the kilt with the other. "Think you can best me in the bedroom, stud?" She was grinding her hips down on his, feeling his girth pressing against her mound.

"I won't underestimate you twice!" he declared as he yanked the Kilt, exposing his furred lower half. As soon as he did it, a thick cloud of musk filled the room, clogging Talba's nostrils and driving her a little wild.

Well, Talba didn't need musk to drive her wild. Her arousal buttons were on a hair trigger, and she'd been itching for a piece of Storm and/or Dasaever since Melodi complained about their insatiable lust. She'd been trying her best to keep her desire at least partially hidden from the two of them out of respect for Melodi, but then it was clear that Melodi wasn't interested in a threesome. Solution: Simple!

Now she was alone with Storm in her private quarters, she wasn't going to stop until he was spewing some of that seed in her, painting her womb with cum. It'd been a long time since she had met such a virile stud, especially one that was such an adept warrior; her desire intensified during their 'friendly sparring match' when she caught the scent of musk, and she knew he was aroused. Not only did she get turned on by powerful men as much as he appeared to be turned on by powerful women, but after hearing of his exploits and vigor from Melodi, she needed a taste of her own regardless of her sister's desire.

She was reaching between her legs to push his sheathe back when her door opened again. Both looked over to see Dasa stepping up beside Vaulix.

"Well this hardly seems fair." Dasa commented, rubbing his now-thawed shoulder. "Who do I get to fuck?"

Vaulix raised an eyebrow to the canine hybrid and nudged him. "No reason you can't have a go at me. I mean, it looks like the Queen is a little busy at the moment." He looked up at Dasa and offered a solemn nod to assure him he was serious.

Dasa in turn looked down at the relatively diminutive cockatrice and shrugged. "I see no harm in that. Was kind of hoping I'd get a go at her, though."

"Don't worry, Storm will be done long before she is." With that, Vaulix took Dasa's hand and guided him over to the other side of the bed. He laid on his back and spread his legs, exposing his heavily scaled slit as his tail writhed about on the red velvet carpet. "Come on, don't be shy."

The canine hybrid slipped out of his ceremonial robes and rubbed himself a bit, a hint of trepidation showing in his features.

"What's wrong?" Vaulix asked, reaching down with one hand to peel one of his scaled lips apart, exposing a purple fleshed canal.

"Honestly thought you were a dude." Dasa explained. He didn't let his confusion slow him down too much. A moment later, the glistening pink tip was poking out of his sheathe and he was rubbing at it to coax more of it from its confines.

"I can be either, whichever you chose." Vaulix assured him as he curled his finger into himself, rubbing his flesh and smearing his fluids all over the thick scales on either side of his pussy.

Dasa was shocked to find that, to his eye, Vaulix's features were melting and shifting before him. The green and blue feathers were buzzing, his facial features were shifting, and his very slit was apparently rearranging before his eyes to be more feminine and less like a male genital slit. This was strange, but he'd seen and participated in stranger magics, so he leaned over and pressed his hips against Vaulix, happily discovering that this reptile was hot blooded inside! "Hnnnngph!" He bit his lip and arched his back to press more of himself into Vaulix, the scales peeling his sheathe flesh back with each movement.

"There we go. There we go."

On the other side of the bed, Storm and Talba were already getting into one another. As soon as Dasa had closed the door behind him, they had proceeded and stopped caring about the interruption. Talba continued to ride her drake gently, pushing her hips down on him and using her hand to guide him to her moist lips. At first his tip was just poking out and rubbing between her rump cheeks, pressing at her pert little tailhole - a prod that prompted her to lift her tail high and expose herself - but after a few movements, she felt his spade-tipped cock part her lips and slip into her depths.

And that was all it took to get Storm excited. AS soon as he felt her warmth smothering him, he grabbed both of her hips and bucked up into her until his knot popped out of his sheathe and between her lips. He clicked his beak as he arched his back, tail flicking and balls clenching between his thighs to slap against her rump with each vigorous thrust.

"Good boy..." Talba cooed to her drake as she leaned down over him, grinding her hips against his as she pushed up. She clenched her muscles as his knot pressed against her, only to relax and let it in with one steady lurch, the pressure and texture coaxing a creamy wink from her that splattered all over his belly as her body shuddered.

Just as a scream of pleasure was welling up in her throat, there was a knock at the door followed by the drawn out creak of it opening. Both Talba and Vaulix looked over to see Melodi poking her head into the room.

There was a brief moment of worry from Talba, who wasn't entirely sure if she wanted her sister playing with her, but she got over it after reminding herself internally that she WAS playing with Melodi's chief. "Yes?" Talba asked in between pressured grunts in time with Storm's thrusts.

Melodi didn't say anything, she just snuck into the room, closed the door behind her, and walked towards the four of them on the bed. She leaned over the golden footboard and watched intently as Dasa was pushing into Vaulix, and Talba was grinding down onto Storm. Not sure what to say or do in this precarious position, she clicked her beak and rubbed her thighs together, smearing her own fluids all over her flesh. "I, uh, heard you guys going at it and I couldn't resist." She admitted.

"But I thought you wanted a break?"

Melodi reached down under her skirt and gently prodded at the fleshy mound of her lips, coaxing her own spurt of creamy fluid down her thighs. "N-no, I just wanted to decide on my own when and where I got off without anyone else's approval or demands. And now, I..." She stopped mid-sentence and crawled up over the foot of the bed, sliding the dress off her shoulders to fall to the floor as she did so. Over the four she crawled until she was laying her head down on the pillows with tail raised high and pulled to the side to expose herself.

She closed her eyes and waited patiently for someone to do something to her, anything. She wanted it, she needed it, and she wanted them to want to play with her despite her outburst earlier. It didn't take long. A moment later, she felt a scaled hand resting on her rump, thumb rubbing at her pucker and forcing itself into her. It was Vaulix, reaching out and using her juices to lubricate her ass, leaving her slit for Storm to lick or something.

Melodi winked her pussy lips as a small droplet of creamy, slick fluid splattered on the velvet sheets, which Vaulix quickly licked up.

The odd state of affairs had Talba curious and suddenly in a chatty mood, so she pulled off of Storm's knot and laid on all fours on the bed, tail raised as she cocked her head to the side, trying to get a read off her sister. She was resting her chin in her palms as Storm got up and positioned himself behind her to penetrate again. His thrusts made it a bit hard for her to concentrate on her sister's peculiar state of mind.

Curious more than anything else - about her sister and her own level of promiscuity - Talba reached out and slid a finger into her sister's slit, sliding it up and down between the thick lips and poking at her winking clit. She closed her eyes and fantasized about the slit she was slipping into being her own, fantasizing about the feel of her own fingers inside herself as Storm continued to push into her.

With Vaulix still forcing his thumb into Melodi's hole, Talba closed her eyes and slipped a second finger inside, alternating each one's fingertips across her hatchmate's pleasure points just inside the lips. Each little motion coaxed a sudden jerking of Melodi's spine and tail, so she kept pushing in a little deeper, adding a third finger, then a fourth so that her entire palm was slipping inside, her thumb rubbing up against the rim of her rump next to Vaulix's thumb.

Vaulix looked over to Talba and smiled, his very visage broadcasting an odd sense of contentment between the two. He curled his knees and pulled Dasa in closer to feel the knot pop in with ease.

On the other end, Talba was finding her muscles contracting remarkably tightly around storm as she continued to prod and massage Melodi from within, forcing him to bring his leg up onto her hip for leverage, followed by a powerful roar of dominance to push his knot into her! With a nearly audible pop, she felt his lobes swell within her, clit winking in time with every one of his muscle-tensing contractions. At the same time, she swirled her wrist around and brought her thumb in to slip her entire hand under her sister's tail.

She knew precisely how this felt, and she wasn't the least bit surprised that Melodi's walls relaxed just enough to let her knuckles slide in between the meaty lips to rest heavily inside her canal. Once inside, she balled her fingers into a fist then spread them out again, waving the tips across the engorged pleasure spots inside before balling up into a fist and thrusting in deep like a stallion would.

Talba knew precisely what buttons to press. Melodi should be with either a drake or stallion, gryphon or horse, and while she was getting a tapered tip and bulging knot, her depths weren't getting the same pounding they would from a stallion, so Talba remedied this by leaning forward and pushing in as deep as she would go. Melodi's flesh quivered in delight as Talba's fist punched through right against her cervix but no deeper. She pulled almost entirely out again only to slip in a second time, then a third, beating at her sister's flesh, followed by a splaying out of the finger to simulate an engorging flare.

Melodi let out a howl of pleasure as her aback arched, tail muscles pulled up, and her knees shook. Just as she hit her peak, her muscles instantly clamped shut around Talba's forearm, first the pressure in the middle clamped down on her wrist, to suck her in, but then there was a pressure from within that forced her entire hand out in one gooey mess of a splash. As her fingertips escaped the meaty lips, the tips dragged downwards over the engorged, sopping wet clit to coax one last shiver of delight from her sister.

Before Talba could make a comment, Melodi collapsed on the bed and idly rubbed her face on the silken pillows, letting the other four have their fun.

Storm had already tied with Talba, and her contracting muscles set to the rhythm of Melodi's convulsions coaxed what felt like a litre of cum from his reserves, and Vaulix's growing cock inside the slit next to the vaginal canal that Dasa was fucking made it so tight he couldn't help but explode inside.

Thing is, this was only the first of the night. For the time being, Melodi curled up in the bed and Talba curled up beside her, knot still fully inflated and tied within her, so they cuddled and slept until the middle of the night.

Dasa and Vaulix remained tied only for about an hour before the climax died down, leaving them to sneak out in the middle of the night to return to the Feast hall, which at this point had been completely cleaned of their remnants and mess. Both were naked, since it was night and the maids and castle-hands were all sleeping. "So, that was interesting. What do you make of the whole situation?" Dasa asked, sipping at some wine that they'd poured.

"Of what in particular? It's a lot to take in, really. Talba gets like this all the time. She finds an excuse to make anyone hers. She's very possessive."

"And what's your relationship to her? Family? Friend? Fuckbuddy?"

Vaulix sighed. "It's kind of a really, really long story. We've known each other for what seems like a dozen lifetimes. Sometimes we're mated, sometimes we're friends, other times we'll spend a lifetime apart. It doesn't matter what happens, she's always like this. I accept it, I embrace it, and when it gets out of hand, I just stay out of it. Things tend to resolve themselves around her. I don't know what she did to calm her sister down after stealing her mate and literally fucking him in front of her. Never known Talba to be into her sister, though. Must have been a spur-of-the-moment thing."

"Yeah, I was certainly not expecting that at all. I half expected Storm to back out halfway through once Melodi caught him in bed with her sister. Then again, I wasn't expecting Talba to be such a fighter. I guess once you earn Storm's trust and allegiance, it takes a lot to break that bond. Good for him, though. Didn't realize Talba was that powerful, magically, either." Dasa took another sip and smiled as he leaned back in his chair, remembering the brief fight he had with the queen earlier.

"Oh, don't give me any of that, I know you were holding back for her."

Dasa coughed a bit and cocked an eye at Vaulix. "Say what?"

"I know what you're capable of, that wasn't a fraction of what you can do. But don't get cocky, it was only a fraction of what Talba can do, too. I thank you for your restraint, did not need to have to rebuild the castle."

"Eeenh. I just wanted to get laid. I was really hoping for something a bit more substantial of a mating dance with her. I was kind of expecting to double team her or something; now that would be fun."

Vaulix ruffled his feathers a bit. "Well, that's why I kind of helped tide you over. You three are here for the weekend. Trust me, she's not done with you yet. I hope you have the stamina Melodi has praised you for, because you're going to need it." With that, Vaulix raised his glass in a toast that Dasa nervously shared.

He truly did need it. Round one may have been a bit more Storm and Talba, but next round was all Dasa.