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It was their first trip together, and Josh was ecstatic. In a matter of years he'd seen more of the world than he'd ever thought he would. Hell, the mere thought of even seeing the royal palace of the United Prides, much less live in it, had been incomprehensible. And now he was going to visit the country he'd most wanted to visit ever since he was a kid.

"Pandas bore me, father. Their culture is so weird," Khari mumbled, leaning back in the reclining chair. It was still an airplane chair, so it really didn't do that much reclining, even if it was a private jet. "Tell me again why we're taking this trip."

"Even though we're a very wealthy nation, son, that doesn't mean anything if we are without allies," the king explained. "Yogara is a highly agricultural nation that supplies the world with a large percentage of food, and that includes the United Prides. The last thing we need from them is any kind of economic sanction."

"Yes, but why does this require an actual trip? Couldn't this have just been done with a teleconference or something like that," the lion sighed. His reluctance was starting to infect Josh, too.

"No matter how much you dislike it, we need to curry favor with the people of Yogara. Their emperor may only be a figurehead, but he still holds a lot of political weight as well as adoration from his people," the king paused. He was wearing a smile, but that faded into a frown. "Oto and I used to be old friends when the war started, but it has been years since I've made any public appearance here. The pandas are very peaceful, and most of them don't favor the war or our institution of slavery."

"If I may..." Nuru added. He was seated uncomfortably on the floor of the plane. A seat would have been even more uncomfortable for the giant liger. All of them were too small. The prince and the king glared at him as if he was interrupting something important. The liger gulped in response, but he still spoke up. "If they don't care for the servitude of our humans, was it wise for us to bring our slaves?"

Khari let out a single laugh. "You think _I_care? I gave Josh the option. But I told him it'd be much better if he came. That didn't matter anyway. He insisted on it." The lion paused and chuckled some more. "It's not really slavery when I give him a choice."

The prince was clearly irritated, but Josh knew it was a joke. Even though, in truth, he was Khari's slave; the lion never really forced him to do very much. And everything he had forced him to do that first week were things Josh was very willing to do anyway. In fact, that reminded Josh of his master's feet, and the lion's feet only made his mouth water. And it did just that. He wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth with his wrist and dried it with his shirt right away.

Josh looked over to the giant liger, who was squeezed between a set of seats toward the rear of the plane. Matt was sitting in one of the seats next to Nuru, combing through the fur behind the liger's left ear. Josh wished he could do the same, but Khari was seated next to his father for the flight.

"He's right," Josh shrugged. "I'd always wanted to visit the panda nation. It'd always looked so cool in the brochures and ads I'd seen as a kid."

"More like dull as hell..." Khari interjected, and that made Josh's brow furrow. This was damn well the first time they'd run into anything with which they disagreed. Usually, his master was very accommodating of his preferences. It was strikingly odd that this was any different.

Nuru leaned over to whisper into Matt's ear. "Who put a stick up his butt?" he asked.

"I heard that!" Khari spat. "Don't think for a single second that what had happened in the bathhouse gives you permission to talk freely around me."

The air inside the plane hushed, except for the dull roaring of the engines. They had never before seen the prince act like that. The only one without a look of bemusement was the king. The regal lion turned and looked out the window. They were flying just over the coast of Yogara, so he let out a long sigh. "Coming here always reminds me of your mother," he said.

Khari huffed and hung his head, staring at the carpeted floor. His toes tapped on it.

Josh gulped down something swelling in his throat. It was the first time he'd ever heard of Khari's mother. In fact, he'd never asked his master about her. He'd assumed it was either an unimportant or highly touchy subject. Now, it was starting to seem like the latter.

Josh undid his seatbelt, and worked his way over to his master. He put a hand on the lion's furry shoulder. His fingers snuck under Khari's thick mane and massaged his strong neck muscles. They were very tense.

However, Khari ignored his slave for the moment. "Must I partake in any of the discussions... or whatever it is we have to do here?"

The king met with his son's eyes. The young lion's annoyance was carved think into his muzzle and face. "I will be meeting with my old friend, Emperor Oto," the king explained. His voice was clear and empty of emotion. "You will be meeting with the prince. You two used to play so well together."

Khari's nose curled in disgust. "Yeah, that one's easy to believe, considering he's such a more-holy-than-thou prick." The sarcasm was thick.

"Are you sure that's not some kind of projection?" his father quipped.

The young lion sneered and his lips curled with anger. Apparently, there was a whole other part to Khari that Josh hardly knew. It made sense though. The early part of their relationship wasn't spent talking late into the night about their childhoods. It was filled with a entirely different kind of intimacy - the naughty kind.

Josh swallowed hard before clearing his throat and speaking up. He leaned farther into Khari, stretching his arm across his master's broad back and rubbing his shoulder blades. "Would you like a foot rub, master? It might help you calm your nerves," he whispered into the lion's ear.

"Who said my nerves need calming?" Khari replied. His voice was normal volume but his speech was terse. Josh stepped back. He was intimidated by his master's reaction, but the prince pulled him back. "However, I have an idea..." the lion paused and turned to his father. "Hey, dad. When's the last time you had a foot massage?"

"Well..." the king thought about it, "...I guess I don't rightly know."

A smirk twisted on the lion's lips. "It's your lucky day then. Josh gives wonderful foot massages. Isn't that right, Josh?" Khari gave Josh and nudge forward toward the king.

What is he playing at? Josh wondered. However, he couldn't really turn down a chance to rub the king's feet. He knelt before the lion, but he wouldn't proceed until he had permission.

The king's brow was entrenched with confusion, but his lips curled into a pleased grin. "Very well," he said. "I don't see a problem with it, so do as you would like, Josh." He slouched a bit in his seat, which was something odd to see a king do, and placed his right foot onto the human's lap. His toes wiggled with anticipation.

Still, Josh looked back at his master. The confusion carved on his face was clear, but Khari gave him a subtle nod to go ahead. Something was up. And Josh knew it.

It didn't really matter though. Josh had a nice pair of feet paws in front of him, and he wouldn't pass up such an opportunity. He recalled the night he was captured. It was the first time he'd ever really gotten a good glimpse of a lion's feet. And they'd belonged to the king. At that time, it was only a fantasy. He never thought he'd be able to touch a royal lion's foot. Now it was his constant, daily reality.

Josh started by sliding four fingers between the king's big toes, which curled over the top of his hand. The king let out a soft purr. It had to have been ages since he'd last had a foot rub. And for a fleeting moment, Josh wondered why that was the case. He also wondered why the king didn't have a slave of his own. Or even just a personal masseuse.

With his other hand, he ran a finger along the lion's padded heel, tickling the ridge around it. He stopped when the king jerked a bit. He bent the lion's foot forward with his right hand and rubbed the bottom pad with the palm of his left. The king slouched even more, which made Josh smile. Both of them were enjoying it so far.

Next, after working the padded heel for several seconds, he removed his fingers from between the lion's toes. He placed his thumbs together on the arch of the lion's foot, right between the pads where a fair portion of fur was nestled. Slowly, he ran his thumbs upward toward the main pad in large, circular motions. The king let out a loud groan of satisfaction that time.

"That feels wonderful, Josh," the king admitted. "How often does my son have you do this?"

Josh chuckled lightly. "Well, often enough that I've become an expert."

"I can see - and feel - that," the lion added.

Josh let the first foot paw fall to his lap and grabbed the next one. He started the same way, sneaking his fingers between the toes and combing through the fur on top. The king relaxed and the foot bent to the pressure.

With his thumb, Josh massaged the mid section of the furry arch while his other hand rubbed each individual toe. He was tempted to inch his head down to them and let his lips wrap around the big one. But he fought the urge. Khari probably wouldn't have approved of him going that far with his father. That may have been the case, however. The prince was a somewhat difficult one to read when it came to intimate appetites. Josh certainly wouldn't have put it entirely past his master.

The king continued to purr, and Josh loved it. Feeling the big feline's body rumble pleased him to no end. His fingers slipped out from between the lion's toes. They slid down the upper pad, running all the way down to the heel. There, he used both hands to manipulate the rough, black flesh. Again, he fantasized about bringing the king's foot up to his face and sliding his tongue right along the entire edge of that pad. He wanted to feel it prickle his tongue, pleasure his taste buds, and please his nose with that delightfully smoky aroma.

While continuing to rub down the rest of the king's foot, Josh's insides trembled. It was tough temptation to resist. He used his left hand to hold the foot in place as he pressed the base of his palm deep into the bottom of it. The flesh took a fair amount of force to yield, but after working it for a few more minutes, Josh could feel it loosening up. The soft moaning that escaped the lion's lips let him know he was doing something right. And when Josh rubbed harder, more of the king's scent would seep from the glands on his feet filling the air around them. The olfactory teasing was sublime.

Once done, Josh inched the king's foot back down to his lap. The older lion opened his eyes and passed him a grateful smile. Josh did the same. He always loved seeing the king smile just as much as he loved his master's bright grin.

"So dad? What did you think?" Khari asked. There was some subtle pride in his voice, which suggested that he gained some kind of leverage with his father.

"Well," the king began, sitting back up in the seat. Josh returned to his. "I can certainly see why you brag about him. However, this - in no way - will be affecting your duties during this trip." The king had read his son easier than a politician after a sex scandal.

"Come on, father! You know how much I hate Bo."

"I swear," the king replied, raising his voice. It was the first time Josh had ever really heard the lion growl. "Both of you used to be such good friends. What happened between the two of you?"

"Other than the fact he became a self-righteous asshole? I don't know father. Why don't you tell me?"

"This will be a good lesson for you to learn then, Khari," his father explained. "A king needs to know how to be a good ambassador, regardless of our impressions. We must push aside our personal attitudes for the needs of the nation. We cannot lose the pandas as allies. Economic sanctions could throw our country into turmoil, so our feelings about the emperor or his son come last in consideration of this."

Khari tossed his arms over each other, crossing them. He huffed and turned his head to look at the floor. He had enough of the discussion. The static-filled hush, which rolled into the airplane fuselage, was more than awkward.

In order to occupy his time, and make things feel less awkward, Josh found some material to read. He found it packed into a storage slot next to his seat. It was a newspaper that looked the most interesting. It'd been such a long time since he'd been able to catch up on any current events outside the palace. Even more interesting was the fact that the newspaper was from the panda nation. It was a few months old, but it was quite relevant to the reason they were traveling there.

The front page had a headline mentioning the emperor and his son, Prince Bo. Apparently, the panda prince had reservations about his country's relationship with the lions. It went on explaining how the emperor had been longtime friends with King Diallo, but it was swiftly becoming a fragile relationship at best. The article suggested that Prince Bo's influence was not only taking root with his father but the body politic, too. The nation really adored their emperor's heir and held many of his beliefs as their own. It appeared that both the king, as well as Khari, had their work cut out for them if this was the case.

Josh wondered, much like Nuru had mentioned, if it was a good idea to bring their slaves along with them. According to what he read in the newspaper, it may end up being a complete public relation nightmare.

He swallowed a small lump in his throat, afraid of what he was going to suggest. But he felt he had to ask. "Do you think it'd be a good idea for me to remove my collar, master?" Everyone looked at him with shock. "I mean, maybe Nuru was right. It might be better if you make it seem like we're not slaves. Sure, we are, but with all sincerity, neither of you really treat us like slaves. Matt doesn't wear his collar anymore and Nuru freely calls him his boyfriend and mate."

Khari's face was as hard as stone, solid and unmoving. Everyone's eyes shifted to the silent lion. "Really? What did I already say about that, Josh?" he replied. The king watched his son in earnest, waiting for a better response to Josh's valid and prudent suggestion. "I already said I don't care. Let them say whatever shit they'd like. I'm not going to put on some kind of façade just so they can feel better about themselves. Fuck that. You're wearing the collar."

Josh looked over to the king only to receive a shrug. He'd hoped Khari's father would talk a bit of sense into his son, but perhaps the king already knew it'd be a fruitless endeavor. Josh was realizing the same thing. He shifted back into a comfortable position and hid his face behind the newspaper. He kept the collar on, but for the first time in a long time it started to itch.

Three more hours of relatively awkward silence was a bit too much to bear, but Josh did well enough to keep himself occupied during that time. Josh slid the small window shutter up so he could get a good look outside as they came in over the capital. It was a large city - larger than the United Pride's capital.

The large metropolis was buried between two mountainous ridges, and multiple skyscrapers were scattered across the valley. And when the plane took its first round to line up with the runway, Josh caught a glimpse of a gorgeous sight. The emperor's golden palace was built into the mountain that lined the northern edge of the city. It was nestled beautifully into the grey stone with a long, wide staircase that spiraled down to the bustling suburb below.

"Is that where we're going?" Josh had to ask. The answer was obvious, but he was caught up in his enthusiasm. Nuru and Matt dashed over to that side of the plane and caught what Josh was referring to.

"It looks awesome!" Matt exclaimed. It appeared he was just as excited as Josh.

"Yes," answered the king. "That is the emperor's palace. We'll be heading there shortly after the initial meeting with the royal family and the press." Khari groaned and slouched in his seat. His father passed him and irritated glare. "The meeting is not optional for you Khari. You are to give the emperor and his son a proper greeting. The press will be there and the last thing we need is some improper fiasco right off the bat."

Khari rolled his eyes and huffed. "Yes, father," he replied, and the air grew cold and silent once again.

Landing on the runway came as a great relief to all of them, except for - maybe - Khari. Josh couldn't wait to see the country he'd dreamed of visiting when he was a kid. He only hoped his master wouldn't ruin that for him. The lion's bad mood was starting to rub off on everyone.

The king was first in line to exit the plane, then Khari, then Nuru, and then the two slaves after them. Josh turned to pass Matt a weak smile. He had a feeling that their trip wasn't going to be as good as he'd hoped. It was becoming less of a vacation and more of a job. That made sense, though. He didn't know why he even imagined it would be anything like a vacation in the first place.

The hatch released and the door slid down into a stairwell for them to descend. King Diallo stepped out into the bright sunlight and raised his right paw. It was clear he was already waving at someone, perhaps it was the press that was waiting for them. Josh heard constant clicking of camera shutters, so there was no doubt in his mind that they'd all end up in the news that night.

He turned back around to Matt again. "Well, I'm sure we'll be make news across the world tonight. I wonder what everyone back home is going to think."

"I..." Matt paused, frowning, "...just hope that my dad doesn't see this. It's not likely, considering he never used to watch the news. And he was too drunk to ever remember any of it anyway."

"I'm sorry," Josh uttered. He didn't know what else to say.

"Don't worry about it. Let's just try to have some fun while were here."

Josh couldn't have agreed more with that statement.

One by one, they made their way down the staircase to the pavement. Josh was correct. To their left, behind a series of short metal fencing, was a large group of pandas as well as few scattered humans. A number of them had their cameras pointed at the King Diallo and Khari, shuttering away like they had infinite amount of digital memory. Josh wasn't entirely aware that so many humans lived in the panda nation. He knew they were they. He just thought it was really rare.

And, of course, across the pavement from them was the royal panda family. The emperor, as well as his wife, was dressed in what Josh could only assume were traditional and cultural robes. They were lined with tapered, gold-colored silk or some other fine fabric that flowed pleasantly over his large gut. He sported a long, braided beard, which was just as creamy as the rest of his white fur. On top of his broad head, he wore a flat red cap that stopped just short of his ears. His smile was stretched wide along his muzzle, revealing his pearly canines.

Their son, Bo, was next to them, wearing the same toothy grin. Josh hardly believed it was authentic, noticing Khari was sporting just as disingenuous a smile. The panda prince stood roughly as tall as the lion prince, but his frame and build were completely different. The bear had wider shoulders as well as a more generous gut and waist. He wasn't really fat like his father, but he had some heft to him. Bo, however, did not wear the same traditional clothing. He was wearing a plain, blue polo with plaid shorts and simple leather sandals, letting his chubby toes wiggle with freedom.

Josh caught himself staring at the panda's feet a little longer than he should have. He also glimpsed Bo's gaze upon him just before he shot his eyes to the ground. It was a habit he needed to break, but anthro feet were just so damn sexy. He hoped the panda prince didn't think anything of his staring.

Josh and Matt stepped to the side. They figured - correctly - that it really wasn't their place to shake hands with an emperor. Nuru didn't know what to do. He was torn between staying to the side with the slaves and introducing himself to the royal family. The fact that he towered over everyone just made his awkwardness quite obvious. Embarrassed, he decided to take his place next to Josh and Matt.

"My old friend, it has been so many years," the emperor offered his left paw, holding it with his fingers pointed straight upward.

The king pressed his left paw against the emperor's, doing the same. "Yes, it has been too long." Together, they placed their right paws onto the left ones. It made a pattern of shifting black and gold. With their paws connected, they bowed in sync.

Khari did the same as his father made his way to the emperor's wife and then his son. Bo just shook the king's paw normally with a weak bow. He didn't even make eye contact with the king. The lion prince glared at the young panda. If Khari had to put up with all the bullshit, Bo should, too.

"The last time I saw you, Khari, you were barely taller than my waist," the emperor recalled.

If you even have a waist underneath that big jelly roll, Khari thought. He was still sneering at Bo. He feigned another smile and met with the emperor's green irises within those black spots around his eyes. "Hah. I can scarcely remember being that short," he joked, and the emperor - thankfully - laughed in response.

Josh was nervous for his master. Was no one else seeing everyone's body language? It was obvious to him that none of them truly wished to be there. And the worst offenders were Khari and Bo.

Khari made the same rounds as his father and eventually came face to face with Bo. He stuck out his reluctant paw and waited for the panda to grab it. It took a few seconds but Bo finally took Khari into his palm and they both squeezed - hard. They squinted and glared at each other. There had to be some kind of bad blood between them, and Josh was curious exactly what it was.

The lion and panda princes were wearing bright smiles but Josh could tell they were glowering at each other on the inside. He heard their whispers.

"I see you brought your slaves," Bo scoffed between his teeth.

"And I see you brought your usual attitude," Khari huffed. "You should go get that checked out. It probably needs adjusting."

They pulled their paws away and both of them rubbed off whatever sweaty grime they'd perceived right onto their pants.

"Follow me," the emperor offered, gesturing toward a few large vehicles on the private runway. "Your - ahem - other guests may take the separate car."

Khari's lips curled for a microsecond. Josh knew he was pissed off about the fact that the pandas would never say the word slave in reference to the humans. Josh gave his head a subtle shake. It was going to be one long, four-day vacation.

He climbed into the second vehicle along with Matt and Nuru. The liger was offered the opportunity to ride with everyone else, but King Diallo refused. He mentioned something about trust. He also said Khari wouldn't need his body guard.

The black cars were a lot like the stretch hummer limousines back home. They were bigger than the human versions. However, Nuru still had a hard time getting inside the vehicle.

The floor was carpeted and the grey, leather seats ran all the way to the back on both sides. It smelled heavily of mead or some other kind of sweet alcohol, which forced Matt's nose to curl. Josh passed him a sympathetic frown. He knew how much he - as well as Nuru - disliked any form of alcohol. But each kind of bear across the world was known for their alcohol and their drinking. The pandas were included in that brew.

"Welcome," a female panda greeted them. She was seated directly in front of the door with a cell phone resting on her chubby thighs. A modern, yellow skirt ran down past her knees, which she tucked down a bit farther. "Please take a seat and make yourselves at--"

Nuru's shoulders got caught in the doorway. His face scrunched up and he pushed hard, tumbling into the vehicle, causing it to tilt on two tires for a moment. The female panda let out a tiny squeal as the giant liger stumbled to his feet on top of her. He remained tightly crouched and swung to walk the narrow path between the seats. His fluffy tail flew into her face before he was even able to take the first step.

She spat up a few of the liger's hairs before speaking again. Nuru didn't even take a seat. He just squeezed his wide buttocks between them.

"My name is Kalya. I am an assistant to the prince, and I will be your escort within the palace."

Matt snickered. He saw an opportunity for a mildly distasteful joke.

"Is something funny?"

"Well," Matt let a few laughs escape before he finished. "You're not really my type, honey." The joke even made Nuru let out a few short chuckles. But the stern look on the panda's face hushed them in short order.

"Very funny, human," she said without a hint of amusement. Matt shrugged. "By the way, what are all of your names?"

"Why do you need to know that?" Josh asked.

"For our records," she explained. The limo finally started rolling off of the runway. "We process every individual that ever enters the royal palace. That includes sl..." she stopped herself, "...all honored guests."

Josh caught it. "It's okay to say the word, you know. Slave. Matt and I are slaves. Not calling it what it is isn't going to change anything."

Nuru hung his head, biting his lip nervously. The panda looked at Matt, who wasn't wearing a collar like Josh.

"Oh? This?" Matt placed a hand on his neck. He turned to the big liger, who was all scrunched up into a ball, and smiled. "My master doesn't want me wearing a collar. He says it's tacky." He passed Nuru a quick wink, which only confused the good panda further.

"That's so good to know," she replied. The sarcasm was thick. "I still need all of your names."

After a few long sighs, they each gave her their names for whatever she needed them for. Josh wondered what she'd meant by "processing" but figured it didn't really matter.

The fact that she was in the vehicle with them kind of ruined the ride. They didn't feel they could speak freely at all, because she had her cell phone out in front of her the whole time. It looked like she was taking notes or some such thing. Josh hoped she was texting someone, but he didn't quite believe that story.

They each just stared out the window and watched as the city passed by them. Pandas, humans, wolves, other bears, a few felines - Josh was stunned with just how much Yogara was a melting pot of different species. He did take note, however, that humans and anthros other than pandas didn't reside in the wealthier portions of the city through which they'd driven. It was a wonder why that was the case, something he hadn't quite anticipated.

The garden at the bottom of the mountain was full of tourists from all nations. There were all kinds of different anthros like Josh had seen while riding through the city. But these ones had their cameras out and snapping pictures of the long fountain that stretched to a gigantic, red gate. The gate was closed, but he noticed the stairwell on the other side. It was the same stairwell he'd seen from the plane - the one that led up to the palace.

He figured they wouldn't be walking up the gigantic staircase, which, as he bent his neck to get a good look, must have had over an thousand steps. And that may have been an underestimation. The mountainside was covered mostly with the leafy green of vegetation, which stood in stark contrast to the grey stone in other places. Josh's excitement was starting to return. The sight was marvelous.

They entered a heavily guarded gate, following close behind the other limo. As they rolled into one of the parking spaces, they all noticed what it was that was going to take them up to the palace. Nestled neatly between the trees that climbed the mountainside was a lift system. It resembled the tracks you'd find on a roller coaster in a way, but it had an enclosed, decorated cart, which could probably fit about ten ligers. That meant it would fit all of them quite easily.

Someone, most likely the driver, opened the door and Kalya was the first one out. Josh followed close behind her and then Nuru, who got stuck once more. Matt pushed on the liger's wide butt until Nuru tumbled out, and his slave went with him, landing on the liger's back

Josh chuckled, but none of the pandas were amused. Their stern faces were really starting to make Josh suspicious of them. He wanted to imagine that it just had something to do with their culture, but that may have been too easy of an excuse that he wasn't quite willing to give them. He was starting to see what Khari may have been referring to about the pandas.

"Follow me," Kalya instructed, gesturing with her arm. "You will not be riding in the same car as the Emperor. Humans do not get that privilege."

Josh's brow furrowed. He wondered what the hell that was supposed to mean. It was odd because he thought the pandas treated all species equally. They'd at least been anti-slavery, but every other nation besides the United Prides was, too.

"How long is the ride?" Josh asked her.

"Ten minutes."

"So it's going to be about half an hour before I get back to my master."

"No," the panda replied. She was very blunt. "You will not see your... prince... for another three hours."

"What!?"

Matt and Nuru had finally joined Josh's side and quickly noticed his anger. "What's going on?" Matt asked.

"She says we won't see Khari for another three hours," he answered and bent around the panda to glimpse his master climbing into the cart with the king. He tried to wave and grasp his attention, but it didn't work.

"But I'm his bodyguard," Nuru argued. "I need to be with him at all times."

"Oh, really? Do you sleep with him, too?" She was getting very snarky.

Nuru gulped, remembering the party and the pool. It wasn't what she was referring to, but he couldn't separate the words "sleep with" and sex. He remained silent.

"The Emperor, his wife, and his son will be having dinner with the royal guests," she explained. Her voice was still lined with ice. "You are not invited. None of you. However, there will be a short party after the dinner where all extra guests may attend. But under no circumstances should a human..." she glared at Josh and Matt, "...approach the Emperor. Do you understand? Am I clear?"

Josh and Matt both rolled their eyes. "Crystal," they answered.

Apart from the time Josh had to wait for Khari with a twisted ankle, it was the longest twenty minutes he'd ever endured. And that was just the amount of time it took before they could climb aboard the cart and ascend the mountainside to the palace. The next two and a half hours was probably going to be worse. Josh guessed the pandas were going to be very strict about where they could roam. Whatever sticks they had up their asses were going to ruin it for him.

The climb up the mountain was just as uneventful and boring as the ride in the limo, which was saying something. Kalya was there, of course, and making it so none of them could talk. They didn't want to hear some snide comment in return.

Her salty demeanor was all they'd seen. They'd assumed it was her default personality, or maybe it was because she'd spent so much time with Bo that she didn't know how to lighten up anymore. Regardless, Nuru was a bit pleased that she'd had a little taste of his butt and tail.

Another ten minutes. The cart came to a halt and the track clanged beneath them as it locked in place. The doors slid open and Kalya stood from her seat. She didn't even look at them before waltzing out of the cart. "Follow me," she advised.

Josh was used to taking orders, but he thought she was just being a bit of a bitch.

Matt leaned in close to his master. "It must be her time of the month," he teased. Josh snickered along with them. He felt awful about laughing at her expense, but it wasn't like she was treating them very nicely.

The palace grounds were much larger than Josh had anticipated. At least from what he'd seen in the airplane. The track that came up the mountainside ended near another gate, which was very similar to the one down at the bottom. It was heavily guarded by what must've been the Emperor's personal security. Kind of like the secret service or something like that.

With Kalya at their side, they let them through without much questioning. However, that still didn't stop them from performing a pat down. It was their first day in the panda nation and they were already getting groped by pandas. Josh didn't entirely care, considering the panda that had given him a pat down had some good looking feet and paws. There was a bright side in everything, he thought.

The gate led into the palace's west garden. Or so Kalya explained. Josh didn't have reason to mistrust her with that. But he had reason to ignore her, which he did for the most part.

Like he'd guessed, a lot of her directing them around the palace grounds was filled with where they could or could not go. Most of it was could not. They were allowed in the west garden. They were allowed in the front courtyard. They were allowed in the grand foyer. That was all for the meantime.

Josh really only wanted to get to his master's room and wait for the next two and a half hours. He didn't really care to dilly dally about in the garden, courtyard, or foyer. "Could you please show me to my master's room for this evening?" he asked her. He'd interrupted her mid sentence but he didn't care a single bit.

"You will not be sleeping with Prince Khari, human. The rooms that he and the king have only have a single bed in them," she explained. Josh rolled his eyes. She obviously didn't understand that one bed wasn't a problem. "You and the other human will have your own room for the duration of your stay."

"Wait. What about me?" Matt said.

"Did you not just hear me?" She was growing even more irritated and snappy. "You will be bunking with your fellow human. The liger will have his own room."

Matt put and hand over his mouth, covering it for what he had to say next. "Bitch," he coughed.

Nuru stepped forward. "May I request that Matt bunk with me? I'd prefer that I have my boyfriend at my side during the night."

Her brow sunk a good inch into her eyes. "Boyfriend?"

"Did you not just hear me?" he quipped, giving her a taste of her own bitterness. "Trust me. I get crabby when I don't get my cuddles. And you don't want to see a crabby liger."

She paused, looking back and forth between Matt and Nuru. Her skepticism was clear. Or perhaps it was the sheer size of the tiger that got to her. "Very well," she said, surprising them. They could hardly believe she allowed it. "The last thing I need is for you to be ruining the party tonight. The prince has a fascination with giant felines and he will most likely want to have a conversation with you. I suppose I can't have you in a bad mood for that. I will allow you this exception."

That pissed Josh right off. "What about me?"

"Do you happen to be Prince Khari's boyfriend?" She started to chuckle quite loudly. It made Josh seethe even more.

"Well, it just so happens--" he stopped himself. The look on her face made him hesitate. It was as if she was just waiting to get some dirt on the lions. "I'm not."

"Then you have no reason to sleep in the same bed with him."

It wasn't supposed to be Josh's job to maintain Khari's public image. He was sure that if his master were there he would have shoved the truth in her face. The prince probably would have just started making out with him right in front of her. That would have showed her. Josh just couldn't do it though. He couldn't tell the truth knowing that it may have a negative impact on his master.

"Follow me," she said, again. They did as she commanded.

She brought them down a hall that ran the length of the west wing of the palace. It was lined with portraits of old emperors and their families. Most of them only had either one or two children, which seemed a bit odd to Josh. He'd figured that a royal family would have more than one child. But when he thought about it, Khari was an only child.

Eventually, at the end of the hall, she pointed them to their rooms. It was a traditional sliding door that didn't leave much room for privacy. Not to mention, the material it was made out of could be poked through with a finger.

Kalya slid the first door open and gestured inside. "This one is for you, Josh."

Josh glanced into the room. All it had was a bed. That was it. And the bed was just a skinny excuse of a mattress that was as thick as his forearm.

She huffed, waiting for him to walk inside. "I suggest you take a nap while you wait for the party. I will also have our servants bring you more formal attire that will be required if you wish to attend. They will be left just outside your door." She turned to Matt. "And that goes for you, too. You will not be allowed in if you are wearing rags like that."

Matt and Josh growled at her. They're clothes weren't really _that_bad. Yes, they were plain. Yes, they had a few stains that wouldn't come out in the wash, the origins of which they would not admit. But they weren't "rags."

Kalya looked at her cell phone. "You've got two hours," she said and started walking away. "You're new clothing will be here within the hour. And if you don't wish to take a nap, remember you are only allowed in the foyer, the courtyard, and the west garden. Do not - I repeat - do not wander anywhere else. The guards have permission to use all forms of force to subdue trespassers."

"We get it." Josh waved her away. "Just please leave."

She glared at him, putting her paws on her hips. "You disrespectful--"

Josh and Matt slid the doors shut, slamming them into the frames. It was such a relief to get away from her.

* *

"So where are they?" Nuru sat at the one of the tables at the party with Matt and Josh. They were three out of about ten other people in the lounge where the party was supposed to take place. Majority of the room was occupied by a long bar, which stretched along an entire north wall. Of course, any type of bear couldn't do without a huge bar.

"I've been wondering the same thing for a while," Josh replied, taking a swig of his sweet, ice wine. Pandas were famous for their extra sweet wines. Matt and Nuru - like usual - abstained from drinking any alcohol.

He was growing very impatient. The party was supposed to have started a half an hour prior and the guests of honor hadn't arrived yet. And that included the royal panda family.

Matt and Josh were the only humans at the party. Most of the other guests were pandas, but there was a brown bear, a black bear, and a tiger anthro in the mix. The tiger was off on his own, minding his own business. He was the only other person without a drink in his paw.

"It looks like Kalya forced you to wear that awful garb." A paw landed on Josh's shoulder. He assumed it was Khari.

"Finally," he said. "I think you were right about these pandas. They're--"

Josh stopped. He caught Matt and Nuru shaking their heads fiercely, trying to warn him about something. Josh twisted around and his eyes went wide. He found Bo towering over him. The panda was just as tall as his master. He was also standing very close to Josh. Close enough that his chubby belly was pressed an inch into Josh's arm.

"We're what?" Bo asked.

Josh's cheeks grew as red as the wine Bo had in his other paw. "Very - um - interesting..." he finished, letting a nervous lump slide down his throat.

Bo chuckled. "Well, I hope it's the good kind of interesting. Because your master is anything but interesting. Lions are so unrefined. Hopefully none of that has rubbed off on you."

Josh bit his tongue. There was so much he wanted to say in response to that. "Speaking of my master..." he paused, noticing that the panda wasn't even looking at him, "...do you know where he is and how long it'll be before he gets here?"

"How come the two of you don't have a drink?" He ignored Josh and instead waltzed on over to Matt, putting the same paw on the human's shoulder. Josh made a fist and his lips tightened. It'd been a long time since he'd felt so angry.

Matt shook his head. "We don't drink. Thank you."

"Oh, come on! You've got to at least have a little bit of our world famous ice wine. We get some of the best frost in the northern parts of our country. And mix that with the perfect clay-based soil, we have the sweetest wines you'll ever taste."

"Neither of us drinks," Nuru repeated.

"I'm going to grab you guys some ice wine." He ignored them just as easily as he ignored Josh. Matt's nose curled. He could smell the alcohol on the panda's hot breath. "Just sit tight. I'll be right back."

"We don't--" Matt tried. It was too late. The panda prince was already halfway to the bar. He looked over to Nuru and then Josh. "What the actual fuck?"

Josh shrugged. "I can already see why Khari doesn't care for him."

"No shit. Does he not have ears? It makes me wonder what exactly those rounded things on top of his head are then."

They all had their eyes locked on the young panda. After putting in the order for two glasses of wine, Bo turned around and found them all gawking at him. It didn't make him uncomfortable in the least though. Bo just nodded and winked at them.

Matt covered his mouth again. "Pompous ass," he coughed.

Nuru elbowed him, nearly knocking him right off of his chair. "You need to be careful, Matt. I was alright with you calling Kalya a bitch with no one else around, but you can't be disrespectful in front of the royal family and their guests."

"I'm just being honest."

"I'm sorry to say this. But now is not the time for honesty." Another voice called from behind them. Josh smiled. He was glad to hear someone he recognized. It was the king. "Don't let Bo's unguarded and pleasant demeanor fool you. Our meeting and dinner with them did not go very well. But you won't see that face on them tonight, nor can they see it from us. This will be the worst kind of Kabuki Theater tonight. And we need to be the better actors."

Josh scowled a bit. He was already quite tired of putting up with all the bullshit. He didn't really want an entire night of it. It was no wonder Khari didn't want to come at all. Josh felt sorry for doubting his reasons.

"Forgive me, my lord," Josh started. "But do you really think continuing to wear all these masks is helpful for us or the pandas?"

"Probably not." His response was very blunt, which surprised Josh. "But we can't be the ones to make the first move. If there is going to be any honesty, it has to come from them. That's why Khari is having such a hard time with this. My son can't handle living a lie."

"Where is--"

"Here we go!" Bo interrupted Josh. He slid the giant glasses of wine in front of Matt and Nuru. "Drink up you two! I'm not going to let you leave this room unless you're as drunk as a grizzly in a meadery."

Matt pushed the glass away with two fingers. "I tried to tell you. We... don't... drink."

The panda's brow furrowed for a millisecond before a grin returned to his face. At least the masks could drop for the smallest of moments. Those glimpses of honesty would allow Josh to assess who the panda really was. Josh assumed that refusing an offer of a drink from a panda was very disrespectful, but Bo wasn't going to say that outright.

"I insist you drink it, human," said the prince. He slid it back in front of Matt with a single, padded finger. "Like I said, this is the sweetest wine you'll ever taste. This is also one of the most expensive wines you'll ever have the divine grace to hit your _human_tongue."

"Like I give a-- ow..." Matt started but Nuru stomped on his foot. It was followed up with the king also pinching him on the back. "Ow! Okay. Okay. I'll drink it." He grabbed it at the base of the glass rather than by the stem.

"Ahem!" Bo coughed and passed him a short glare. "What are you doing?"

Matt made a fist with his free hand under the table. His jaws also clenched and his eye twitched before he responded. "I'm about to take a drink. What does it look like?"

"This is an expensive, chilled wine, and you're not holding the glass by the stem? Have you never learned how to properly taste a wine, human? What have these lions..." he looked over to Nuru, "...and liger been teaching you?"

"Obviously things more important than getting drunk on wine."

Nuru elbowed him again. "Eesh!" Matt grumbled. He rolled his eyes and slid his fingertips down to the stem of the glass. He put his lips on the glass and started to tilt it back, making Bo huff. Matt stopped. "Now what!?"

Bo was shaking his head. Josh felt sorry for Matt, but the whole thing was kind of amusing. And he was learning a bit about wine tasting in the process. It was something he'd always been curious about but never cared enough to look it up.

The panda prince demonstrated it for them. He drew the wine up to eye level. "Inspect it first. Look for any bits of cork, which is grounds for tossing out a wine," he explained. "Then tilt and examine how it cascades down the edge of the glass. Its consistency will give you a small idea of its taste. And lastly, swish and sniff." He spun the wine around in the glass held it right below his nose drawing in the fragrant aroma. "Then you can finally take the first sip. However, it is only to cleanse your palate. The real taste of the wine will be revealed upon the second sip."

Matt did as the panda instructed. He took the first sip and curled his nose. Even though he could hardly detect the alcohol, it was way too sweet for his tastes. He took the second sip. It wasn't any better.

"Yep..." he said. He placed the wine down and slid it away once more. "I still don't drink."

Bo shook his head. "It's a shame, really," he looked over to King Diallo. "Even your slaves are disrespectful. Just like Khari. I guess I should have expected that."

"Could you be any denser?" Josh couldn't hold it in anymore. "They tell you that they don't want a drink. And, instead of being a decent person and listening to them, you force it on them. I don't care if it's dishonorable or some other such nonsense to refuse a drink from you. The least you could do is ask them why they don't drink. Because they _both_have very good reasons for it."

Josh clasped a hand to his mouth. All of them were staring at him with shock. However, the rapid hush that rolled over them was ended by someone clapping. Josh twisted around to find his master strolling over to them. The lion had changed his clothing. He was dressed in some of the same traditional garb that Kalya had made Josh and Matt wear.

It was some kind of robe-like clothing. And the particular piece that Khari was wearing was sporting neon-yellow polka dots over a sea of deep purple. It was one of the gaudiest things upon which Josh had ever laid his eyes. Apparently, purple was the color of panda royalty but that just looked horrible. It was almost enough to make Josh laugh, and he was certain he actually heard Matt let out a snort.

The lion prince was chuckling as he put both paws on his human's shoulders. "You must forgive Josh. He is quite the comedian," he said. Josh raised a bemused eyebrow. "He'd once poked fun of a brown bear to the point that he got a nuggie from him. It was all intentional and in good spirits, though. He just likes to get a rise out of people."

Josh was more than confused. He was nonplussed. Khari seemed to have made a completely one eighty from the plane ride.

"Oh, is that right?" Bo turned to Josh and smiled. He took a step close and Josh squirmed in his seat.

"Please, not another nuggie!" he spat, selling it. "For the love of god, bears give the worst nuggies."

But the panda bear just put his paw on Josh's head and ruffled his hair a bit. They'd gained the attention of all the other party-goers in the room. Which wasn't many.

"So what's with such a small crowd?" Khari asked. "Wasn't this supposed to be a party?"

Bo passed him a confused and ego-bruised look. "It _is_a party."

"You call this a party, Bo? Hell, you should have been at our palace just a few months ago. We had hundreds of attendees from all over the world. Besides, where are your father and mother? And how come most of the guests are pandas?"

"Father and mother do not like to attend parties. They didn't want to be here so they retired early for the night," he explained. "That and we do not allow anyone in the palace that we may distrust."

"Well, I'm glad you at least trust us that much," Khari grinned. "But what's the point when there aren't people crammed into the room and rubbing up against each other?"

"The alcohol of course!" Bo took a nice, big gulp of his wine. A satisfied smirk crawled along his muzzle. "And that reminds me..." he paused, turning to Matt and Nuru, "...so why is it that you don't drink, anyway? It's one of the best pleasures in life."

Matt's face was stone cold. "My father was an abusive alcoholic."

Bo lost his stupid smirk. And that made Josh as well as a few of the others smile. It was delightful to see him reap what he'd sown. The red on that bear's cheeks would have been brighter than his wine if it wasn't for that white fur.

"Oh," he replied. "At least you're - um - in better hands?" He phrased it like a question with the inflection and all. He raised a fuzzy black eyebrow at Nuru, who was trying to hide behind the wine glass. That party was the last place the liger wanted to be. Nuru could handle many things, but social awkwardness wasn't really one of them. He'd much rather be back in his empty room with the smallest of beds he'd ever laid eyes upon.

"Much better," Matt said. He put and hand on the liger's thigh and passed him a comforting smile.

Bo caught that glimmer in their eyes. "Wait. Are you two?"

"Are we what?" Nuru finally joined in. "Dating?"

"Is that legal..." the panda shook his head, "...hold on. I don't even care about that. How would that even work? I mean that human's like a tenth of your size. If that. Besides, I thought he was your slave?"

"Can't he be both? And, yes, we make it work."

"Is that common with all slaves? Do you turn them into your personal prostitutes?"

Nuru bolted up from his chair. The table went with him. It slid right into Josh and knocked his chair backwards. The liger was fuming, his fists tight by his sides.

But Bo didn't even care. He just looked at Josh and Khari. The young lion was helping his slave back up to his feet. "So does that mean that this human is some kind of flesh jack for you, Khari?"

The young lion's nostrils flared and Josh glimpsed the fury in his eyes. It all happened very quickly. Khari snapped around and let the back of his paw slap Bo along his short muzzle.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Khari said. He pulled Josh the rest of the way to his feet. A number of the other pandas and the tiger were rushing over to the commotion. "I couldn't see you through all that indignation."

Bo clasped his paws to his face. Josh was sure that it probably stung like hell, but he was pleased to have seen it happen. He was afraid, however, of what the repercussions were going to be.

The young panda wiped some snot from his nose and sniffed. He was shaking his head. "Just as wild and violent as I remember. It's clear no one has ever taught you any civilized manners."

Khari growled. "Likewise," he replied. "Now are you going to go cry to your father like you used to?"

Bo's left eye and lip twitched. He was obviously fighting some kind of inner battle. Josh saw right through it. "No," he spat. "I'm not seven years old anymore."

"Really? I couldn't tell."

"ENOUGH!" the king roared. "Do either of you think that this petty squabbling will do anything to better both of our nations?" He turned to face his son with an icy glare. "Khari. Apologize to Bo right now."

Josh caught his master making a fist, which was hidden behind his back. "I'm sorry," he grumbled. A forced apology was never a good apology. Bo leaned in closer, placing a paw behind his ear as if he couldn't hear. "I said I'm sorry! I shouldn't have struck you, and I promise I won't do it again."

Bo stuck out his tongue along the side King Diallo couldn't see. Khari growled in response only to get another scowl from his father.

"Obviously this party is dead. It was never alive to begin with," said the king. "I suggest you all return to your rooms and get some sleep. We all have a busy day tomorrow."

Josh knew he wasn't referring to Matt, Nuru, or him. The king had meant that he and Khari would have a busy day. Josh would be stuck roaming the limited parts of the palace in which he was allowed.

"I'm not done drinking," Bo replied.

"You may do whatever you wish, Prince Bo. I was talking to my son and the rest."

Matt finally got up to his feet along with the rest of them. The king started toward the door and everyone followed him. Matt leaned into Josh, rubbing against his shoulder. He cupped another hand over his mouth. "Worst party ever," he whispered.

Josh was highly inclined to agree.

"Doesn't look like I'm the one who's still a daddy's boy," Bo said just as they were about to leave the room. Khari stopped. Josh could feel the inferno raging inside of his master.

"Please." Josh grabbed Khari's paw and squeezed it. "Just ignore him. From what I can tell, he's not worth it."

Khari nodded and they finally turned around the doorway out of the party room. It was an immediate relief. They made their way to the grand foyer. Khari went to climb the stairs and Josh followed close behind Matt and Nuru.

"Wait," Khari called for him. "Where do you think you're going?"

Josh turned to him with a disappointed look. "I was told that I was to sleep in my own room."

The lion shook his head and climbed back down the stairs to approach his slave. The king kept walking without them, intent on returning to his chamber for the night. He certainly looked wearier than Josh had ever seen.

"Who the hell told you that?"

"I suppose you haven't met her," Josh started. "She's Bo's assistant, or secretary, or whatever. She was in the other limo that the rest of us rode in."

Khari raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Oh really? So he was already spying on us before I was aware of it. I knew I shouldn't have let you into that other limo. But father insisted on it."

"Frankly, I don't like what's going on here. I was hesitant to even give her my name. And I think Matt and Nuru felt the same."

"I don't blame you. Something fishy is going on and I really want to find out exactly what it is. If they've only invited us here to get some dirt and smear our names, they're going to wish they hadn't messed with this lion."

"Then shouldn't we refrain from giving them any dirt to smear with? Maybe that's why I shouldn't sleep with you tonight."

"Fuck that," he spat. "I can deal with that kind of dirt. I'll admit to it."

Josh smiled. It was good to know that his gut feeling was right earlier. He just wished he would have gone with it and told Kalya that he was, in fact, Khari's mate.

"Speaking of that, let's get out of here. I have this weird feeling like we're being watched, and I'd be much more comfortable if we continued this conversation in my room."

Josh happily followed his master. He was so glad he wasn't going to have to spend his night in that tiny, empty room. He did, however, feel really sorry for Matt and Nuru. He had no idea how they were going to get any kind of sleep. Then Josh started to worry. He wondered if Khari's room may have been the same. He'd be damned if he had to sleep on the floor like some kind of dog.

That thought made him chuckle a bit though. It reminded him of the leash Khari never used on him yet, which was something he would quite enjoy. Matt got to have that luxury with Nuru. Even though that was under very poor circumstances, and their relationship at that time was pretty tense. Now those two were kind of like peas in a pod. You couldn't separate them. He was glad that was also the case between him and Khari. He would have hated spending the night without the lion.

"Here it is," Khari said. He pointed to the same flimsy type of sliding door that Josh's room had. His shoulders dropped in disappointment. "Don't look so grim." The lion slid the door open and Josh's jaw nearly dropped to the floor.

The room had to have been nearly fifty times the size of the room he was supposed to sleep in, and in the very center of it was a nice, thick, comfy-looking bed. Now he really felt sorry for Matt and Nuru. The bed was a circle with about a twelve foot diameter. It would have even been large enough for the giant liger.

"Damn." Josh rolled his tongue back into his mouth. "It's bigger than the bed back home."

"Yeah, at least they didn't put us in one of those dingy rooms downstairs," he said and strolled inside the room.

"Yeah..." Josh entered and slid the door shut behind him. He again thought of poor Matt and Nuru. He supposed they would make do though. He'd seen that liger fall asleep out on the grass in the training grounds before. Perhaps, Nuru would just sleep on his back and Matt could sleep on his fuzzy tummy. Josh pursed his lips. Now he was actually kind of jealous of Matt, especially if he was able to sleep on that giant liger's soft, furry belly.

Josh turned around and immediately found Khari's mouth upon his lips. The lion kissed him hard and deep. He slipped his tongue out and licked Josh good, tickling his tongue.

Khari pulled back. "Damn, I was thinking I wasn't going to be able to do that at all today," he said. A lewd smile crawled across his muzzle. "Even worse. I thought I wasn't even going to get a piece of that fine ass, either." His huge paw gave Josh's left butt cheek a playful slap.

Josh chuckled, shaking his head. "And for a moment I thought you may have had enough self-control to last a day without me."

"Fuck no. You know just how blue my balls get without you."

"So modest..." he continued to shake his head, "...it's a wonder what you ever did before me."

Khari passed him an eager look, twitching his eyebrows upward. He snapped those ugly, traditional robes open and pulled his junk out. With his left paw, he fondled his furry balls, and with his right paw, he started stroking his growing boner. "Before you?" he chuckled. "I had no problem giving myself a hand."

"Oh yeah?" Josh took a step closer to his master and took a portion of the lion's cock into his own hand. "And how was that for you?" He started stroking him hard. Khari removed his paw and let his slave do all the work. Josh pulled on the lion's sheath with his fingers and rubbed the entire, stiff shaft with it. "Better than this?" he finished.

Khari purred low in his throat. "N-nope. Definitely not better than this."

"Good." Josh pushed on Khari's chest, forcing him to back up all the way to the bed. He continued to stroke him, feeling the lion's cock swell even more within his palm. "Now take that ugly robe off."

"Damn." The lion let out a single, loud laugh. He started tearing of the colorfully odd layers of fabric. They fell to the floor next to the bed. "Who are you? And what have you done with Josh? And weren't you just complaining about me not being able to go a night without you?"

Josh squinted as he stared into Khari's golden irises. He squeezed hard around the head of the lion's erection, causing Khari to flinch with pleasure. "Who said I was complaining?" He pushed the big feline down to the bed. Khari didn't resist. He let his back sink into the mattress with his knees bent over the edge. Josh stood above him. He was still stroking the lion's swollen cock.

Khari watched as his slave released his boner and started to undress right in front of him. He bit his lip, liking this new Josh who'd decided to take charge. Josh's robe slipped off his shoulders and down to the ground next to the lion's robe. He was glad to have it off of him. Both of them were.

The lion's tongue ran along his top lip. "So, master," he joked. "What nefarious plans do you have for me now?"

Josh shushed him. "Oh shut up and let me do my job." He put a knee on the bed, right between Khari's thighs, and right next to his ball sack. He gripped the base of Khari's cock again and pulled his sheath up and over the head of his cock. Khari dropped his head and moaned. It felt delightful. It was exactly what he needed after such a stressful day.

"Give me your foot," Josh demanded. He slid his hand underneath the lion's right knee and attempted to lift it. It was a little too heavy for Josh to raise without help. He twisted and placed his bare ass on the edge of the bed so he'd be in a better position.

Khari had no reason to resist Josh's reasonable request. He bent his leg upward until Josh had his hand coiled around his ankle. Josh pulled the large foot paw up to him and planted his face right into the bottom of it. The first thing he did was he took in a good whiff of it and let his master's masculine aroma fill him. Too many hours had passed without that rich, savory aroma lingering in his nose. It was something that kept him going while he was away from his master.

With his nose dug deep into the fur between the lion's pads, Josh wrapped his fingers around the foot and pushed his thumbs into Khari's heel. He pushed hard and massaged the supple flesh underneath. He slid his mouth upward and let the lion's big toe slip between his lips and into his mouth. Josh let his master's flavor fill him up, running his tongue all over the toe. That hint of salt was a taste worthy of his sucking, which he did. It dripped down his throat and into his stomach. It churned in delight.

The big lion purred as his human worked each individual toe with his mouth. But Josh returned one of his hands to Khari's cock and started to stroke it hard. It was just another reason to let out a soft groan of satisfaction, vibrating his long whiskers. Josh grinned and pushed his tongue from his mouth. It pressed hard into the ball of Khari's foot. The padded flesh gave way and soaked up the human's saliva. It was dry at first, but Josh made sure it got nice and wet.

"Push it against me," Josh demanded. He was referring to his master's foot, which Khari understood. The lion did as requested and pushed the bottom of his foot into Josh's face. Josh pushed back and let his face sink right back into that flesh and fur.

He started to stroke the lion's boner faster, tightening his grip around the hard shaft. His other hand fell from Khari's foot and down to his own erection. It was tough at first, but Josh was eventually able to get his hands in sync as the rose up and fell down each stiff boner.

Khari started to stir on the bed. He drew some of the sheets into his paws as he clenched. The lion felt his orgasm approaching. Knowing this, one of his paws wrapped on top of Josh's and squeezed harder around his cock, stroking it faster. Josh did the same with his own, matching the rhythm his master just set.

The soft grinding sounds of flesh on flesh reverberated throughout the large room, not at all muffled by the thin walls. But neither of them cared. The lion's cock started to swell in Josh's hand as it filled with the hot seed. Khari pushed harder on the human's face with his foot. Josh's head tilted back with the pressure, but he sank deeper into the bottom of it.

His own orgasm was starting to draw near as Khari released his. The big lion let out a roar, which he kept somewhat stifled. A huge stream of white goo flew out from his cock in a gigantic load. The first one landed on Josh's chest, and the feeling of his master's warm, gooey liquid landing on him sent him over the edge. The rest of the lion's cum oozed out and over his hand as Josh shot his first load. It landed near his knee and the rest of his large spurts landed on his thigh. It had been a while for both of them. At least compared to what they were used to.

Khari's furry body continued to twitch. Josh didn't stop stroking his master's cock, prolonging the lion's climax as long as possible. The prince started to chuckle as his back tensed up and his chest shot forward. He let out another thick, goopy load all over Josh's arm.

Josh smiled. He let the lion's foot drop from his face and he looked at his master with amusement. "Well," he said, panting. He was trying to catch a bit of fresh air after sucking in so much of his master's hot musk. "That should help you relax."

Khari nodded. "I don't doubt it will. That felt fucking awesome. It's been a while since you've given me a quick old-fashioned." He glanced down at Josh's cock. "And I see you enjoyed yourself, too."

Josh's cheeks were blushing. He wasn't embarrassed. It was just that his heart was pounding heavy amount of dark red blood to every capillary in his body. "That I did, master. I think it had been a bit too long for me, too," he said, beaming.

He crawled over the lion and collapsed on top of him. His body sunk down into the Khari's thick fur as he continued to catch his breath. His master was panting right along with him. Josh slipped down the lion's side until his head rested neatly on Khari's fuzzy bicep.

"So what exactly happened in your meeting with the emperor and the prince?"

"The same old bullshit I face every other day back home. I really hate this political, beat-around-the-bush cow manure that lines every single conversation with other nations. My father attempted to get to the root of the issue, but each attempt was shot down."

"I see," Josh replied. He could imagine Khari's impatience with such a situation. "But what exactly did you do that made things worse?"

Khari shot a glare at him. "What makes you think such a thing happened?"

"Your father mentioned that the meeting didn't go well."

"And you automatically think it was because of me?" he chuckled.

"Well?"

Khari rolled his eyes. "Alright. I may have gotten impatient and said a few harsh words. But it's not like any of what I'd said was a lie."

"A few harsh words?"

"You know me and the colorful language I like to use. I can't help saying things as they are. I called Bo out as the pompous asshole that he is. And I accused the emperor for skirting around the real issue. It was nothing _too_bad."

"That sounds pretty bad to me." Josh raised an eyebrow to Khari's nonchalant attitude. The fact that the lion shrugged his shoulders didn't ease any of his confusion.

"The only thing they wanted to talk about was our 'culture of institutionalized slavery,'" he went on. His voice grew more mocking as he continued. "They wanted to steer the entire conversation in their favor and ignored all of our responses or desires to discuss anything else. I just had enough of it and made sure they got to hear a lion roar for once."

"To be honest..." Josh paused, clearing his throat, "...the United Prides is the only remaining nation with slavery, which is subsidized and supported by the government. It might be good to realize how bad that looks to every other nation that abandoned such an old institution many, many years ago. They won't offer their support forever."

Khari pulled his arm out from behind Josh's head and turned to him. His brow was furrowed deep over his eyes. "Are you siding with them?"

"No." Josh shook his head. "It's just that you grew up with it while everyone else outside the United Prides didn't. In fact, most nations see it as a very immoral thing. The pandas may not budge on their consideration of economic sanctions if they see no room for abolishing slavery in your country."

"Since when did you become an expert on politics?"

"I'm not. It's just a fact I'm trying to get you to understand."

"So what about you? Do you see slavery as immoral?"

Josh's heart sunk down into his stomach. He held his tongue.

"I see," the prince said. His lips pursed as he nodded. "Your silence gives away your answer."

"But that doesn't have any implication on our relationship. It may have been forced on me at first, but it quickly became a voluntary thing. I wanted to be your slave. So the moment I consented to it, the opposite became true. I'm not really your slave, because I _want_to be yours. Essentially, I have the title, but I have none of the mentality."

"So you make your case an exception, but you disagree with the rest?"

Josh remained hushed. He was afraid to answer that question with the truth.

"Remember our talk about complete honesty that very first day with me?" Khari asked.

Josh was screwed. It was a conversation he'd always chosen to avoid, but now there was no way he could continue to lie through omission. He swallowed a particularly large lump in his throat. "I grew up believing it was a horrible thing. It would be hard for me to think otherwise. But I can understand why you don't see it the way I do."

"I get just as much hedging with the pandas. You can tell it to me straight, Josh. You're not going to hurt my feelings. And even if you did, my feelings aren't your responsibility anyway. That's the problem I have with Bo and the emperor. They just can't state their feelings or opinions without being vague as fuck."

"Alright," Josh smiled, feeling encouraged. Khari always had a way of making him feel more confident. "Slavery is wrong." A soft click sounded from one of the walls of the room and Josh shot his head toward it. He squinted but found nothing. Something suspicious certainly was still going on in the panda's palace.

"And what reason or evidence do you have for that conclusion?" Khari asked. Obviously, he hadn't heard the noise Josh did.

Josh was still distracted by scanning the walls of the room, but he took the time to reply. "It's a question of ethics, isn't it? And I'd have to say that ethics is largely defined by that which is consented to. Slavery is not consented to. It is something forced upon an individual."

"That's not really reason or evidence though, is it? Consent is more along the lines of personal preference, right?"

"Maybe." Josh shrugged. He cared a bit more about that had come from behind the wall. "I haven't really thought enough about all the details of what makes slavery wrong. I just grew up knowing that it was. Did you hear that clicking sound, though?"

"Clicking sound?" Khari followed Josh's gaze to the wall. "No."

"Hmm..." Josh mumbled. "I guess it was nothing." His body was growing quite weary from the discussion and the quick session they'd just had. "Anyway, I guess it's something we can talk about later. I'm feeling pretty tired."

"Me too," the lion admitted. "I'm sure I'll be passing out tonight."

Josh smiled and started rubbing his master's furry belly. Khari let out a low purr and scooted closer to the center of the bed, pulling one of the feather pillows under his head. He shut his eyes and relaxed. Josh's fingers combed through the fur on his belly and chest. It was a wonderfully comforting feeling.

Soon, the lion's breathing grew more shallow and long. He was correct. Before Josh could move his hands somewhere other than Khari's chest, the prince was already drifting off to sleep. And since he was on his back, the lion started to snore. It wasn't loud, but it was cute enough to make Josh grin.

He snuggled up with his master, tucking his body close to the lion's side and resting his head on his arm again. He'd just started to close his eyes when another loud click echoed in the chamber. Josh snapped back up. "Did you hear that one?" he said. "It was louder this time."

Khari turned on his side, and his arm flopped over Josh's waist. Something incomprehensible murmured from his sleepy lips. Josh shook his head. When his master was out, he was out. He wasn't going to be able to wake him up until morning.

Josh lifted his master's arm with a bit of effort and crawled out from underneath it. He slipped on the robe that he'd worn to the party. It was the only piece of clothing available, considering he didn't even know where they'd taken their entire luggage. That was something Kalya had forgotten to mention.

He made his way over to the wall from which the clicking noise had come. His fingers ran down the thin wooden wall searching for something that could have made the sound. But other than some of the pictures that hung on the wall, there was nothing. Instead, Josh twisted around to look at the entrance to the room. The sliding door was ajar by about two inches, which was something he knew was wrong. He was absolutely certain he'd closed it all the way.

Then, it shut with a snap. Josh's eyes went wide. He knew it. Someone had been spying on them!

Josh rushed over to his master and started rocking him back and forth with force. "Khari! Khari! Someone was just at the door," he whispered sharply.

"No, dad. It's not just my imagination. I've seen dogs explode when they eat chocolate. It's totally true," the lion mumbled. He didn't even stir in the slightest. Josh rolled his eyes. He wasn't going to get anywhere with Khari, and the longer he tried the farther away the spy would be. And Josh was intent on catching them.

He dashed over to the door and slid it wide open, twisting out into the hallway. There were a few guesses he had about who it may have been. But the person at the top of his list was Kalya. That panda seemed to be out to set them up from the beginning. Josh couldn't allow that to happen.

His robes were still unbuttoned and unstrapped, so he did them up as he darted down the hallway. He didn't even know where it may have lead. He was just following his ears, and he'd heard footsteps down the east end of the hall. The night air was mostly silent and dark. Josh did his best to keep it that way, making sure he didn't make much noise with his bare feet.

He pivoted around the first corner and caught a glimpse of the spy. That black and white fur was obvious. It was a panda. Now he just needed to find out who it was.

On the tips of his toes, Josh charged down the next hallway. The corridor led north through the second level of the palace and came to an end where he had to turn right. He snapped around the corner, intent on catching the panda, and ran right into a huge paw. His face dug deep into a meaty, black pad as the fingers curled and gripped around his forehead. He started to shout, but his words were muffled by the panda's thick, padded palm. His eyes were covered and he still couldn't get a glimpse of who it was.

And before he could struggle his way out of the panda's grip, he felt a burlap sack being shoved up and over his head. The panda pulled his hand away just as the thing fell down over his eyes. "Who are--" he tried. The hand was right back over the sack and Josh's mouth, cutting him off. The panda's other arm slid behind Josh's knees and swept him off of his feet. They started moving right away, with the human swaddled in the mysterious panda's arms.

"Quiet," the panda said. It was hard to make out any kind of tone or pitch while the sack and the panda's fur ruffled against Josh's ear. "I'm rescuing you."

Josh started yelling into the panda's paw. He didn't need any rescuing. He couldn't, for the life of him, imagine what would have made them think such a thing.

Other than struggle, Josh didn't know what to do. Not that it mattered much. Whoever it was that had a grip on him was at least as strong as Khari, so attempting to escape from their grasp was useless.

He was carried the rest of the way down the hall. He was sure of it by the sound of the panda's footsteps totting over the hardwood flooring. A door slid open and closed. They must've arrived in someone's room or something. Josh had lost any semblance of directional orientation.

The panda set him down on a soft mattress. It must have been a bed because of the way it felt on his butt. The burlap sack was pulled off and Josh finally got to see who it was.

The panda that had taken him hostage was Bo.

Well, "hostage" was a loosely defined term in this situation, but Josh certainly felt that way. Otherwise why would the sack have been necessary?

"Bo?" The surprise was evident of Josh's confused mug. "Are you crazy!" he spat.

The big panda leaned over and inched closer to Josh face. His hot breath was thick with the scent of wine he drank earlier that evening. "I overheard your conversation with that damn lion. I wanted to help you finally escape and be free."

Josh turned his head. He'd much rather escape the smell of that panda's breath more than anything else. "And what exactly did you hear that would compel you to put a sack over my head and drag me to..." he paused to look around. "Where exactly am I?"

"Shh..." Bo put one of his fat, drunken fingers on Josh's lips. He must have thought Josh was talking too loud. Even though Josh was nowhere close to shouting like he should have been. He should have been trying to wake the entire palace. "This is one of my rooms," he answered. There was a slight slur to his speech.

"One of your rooms?"

"Yeah," he grinned. There was also a bit of an inebriated glaze over his half-lidded, green eyes. "If I get tired of one room I spend the night in another."

"Then who gets the rooms downstairs in the east wing?" Josh wondered out loud. Bo's room was just as extravagant as Khari's temporary room, and Josh was curious why they had such small quarters downstairs.

"Those are for the human servants and guests that we don't like." He paused. He noticed the crossed look on Josh's face. Not only did they seem to treat their servants like shit, but they had no problem treating their "honored guests" the same way. Bo started waving his paws. "No, no, no, no - I like you. I didn't mean that."

"What do you mean you 'like me?'"

Bo let out a loud hiccup before answering. Another cheesy grin stretched along his black lips. "You're cute. Which is why I couldn't stand seeing you with that damn lion."

"His name is Khari." Josh was getting quite upset. Although, a small part of him felt flattered by the panda.

"Yeah whatever. Aren't you glad, though, that I saved you from him?"

Josh shook his head and slapped his palm against his face. "Aren't you assuming I'd even wanted saving in the first place?"

"But you said that slavery was wrong. I heard you. And I saw you."

"Yeah, but..." Josh held that thought. It was interrupted by something a little more pressing in his mind. "Wait," he went on. "Just how much of us did you see?"

The panda's eyes darted to the side. He scratched his furry cheek with one paw and scratched his crotch with the other. Josh looked down at Bo's lower paw and found a bit of a bulge he'd just attempted to conceal.

Josh lips pursed with anger. "You didn't!"

Bo swallowed hard, rubbing his already red, embarrassed cheeks. "I swear I didn't see you two jacking each other off."

Josh's eyes went wide, and he shot an accusatory finger right at the panda. "Aha!"

The panda threw his paws up and the bulge he'd been hiding sprung to life. It made a fairly big tent in his pants. Josh stared at the large hump before Bo's paw shot back down to it. "Whatever. You're the ones that decided to have sex in someone else's house."

"And you're the one that decided to spy on us!"

"Why does that matter anyway? I rescued you!"

"Why isn't this getting through your thick skull? Are you too drunk to figure it out?" Josh slowed down to annunciate each word. "I - didn't - need - rescuing."

Bo leaned in closer again. His nose was just inches from Josh's and his breath reeked even more than before. "But you're a slave. Who wants to be a slave?"

Josh closed his eyes and massaged his forehead. A massive headache was making its way up his spine and straight to his frontal lobe. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. His words were muffled by the panda pressing his sloppy lips onto Josh's face.

Josh froze. His body went rigid as Bo kissed him. The panda's wet lips massaged him before he could even realize what exactly was going on.

"WHAT THE FUCK!" a deep voice roared from the doorway.

Josh pushed the panda's mouth off of his and shot his eyes over to the door. Khari was standing below the wooden frame. His paws were clenched into tight fists by his side. He was absolutely fuming.

"I-it's n-not what it l-l-looks like, master," Josh stammered.

Bo's body leapt a good foot into the air at the sight of the irate lion. He stumbled backward until he fell onto the bed right beside Josh.

Khari stormed over to them. "Of course it isn't, Josh. I know exactly what this fucker is up to. I heard everything he was saying to you."

"K-Khari. What a pleasant surprise to find you here in my room." Bo's voice was shaking faster than an airplane in a hurricane. "I - uh - was just showing your human around the palace."

"Oh, give up the fucking act already. Did you not just hear me, Bo? I said that I'd heard everything you'd told Josh." Khari continued his tirade, steaming profusely. "And what? Right after you chastised me for supposedly using him as a flesh jack, you try and seduce him for your own sexually depraved appetites?"

Bo shook his head and another loud hiccup erupted from his throat. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not even attracted to humans. 'Cause humans are all low-class and not worth my time."

"YOU JUST FUCKING KISSED HIM!" Khari growled. "I would have stayed back and listened some more if it wasn't for the fact that you put your slobbery lips on my boyfriend."

"Woah, wait!" Josh piped in, interrupting whatever stupid thing Bo was going to say. He turned to face the panda that looked like he was ready to collapse from fear and exhaustion. "What do you mean humans are all low-class and not worth your time?"

"W-what? Why is that important?" Bo didn't even care to answer. He kept looking at Khari with wide eyes. "Did you just say boyfriend? I thought he was your slave."

"He's both, Bo," answered the lion. "And if you'd ever taken a damn second to ask a single question, you might have found that out. But all of you fucking pandas are more concerned about your self-righteous egos more than anyone else's experience, feelings, and beliefs. It's no wonder we can't get anywhere with you."

Josh furrowed his brow. "I'm still waiting for an answer."

"What did you expect, Josh?" Khari snapped at him a bit but apologized immediately. He was extremely worked up about it all. "The pandas are all more concerned about themselves. They think they know exactly how everyone should live their lives and control so many aspects of their citizens' choices. It may not be publicized or common knowledge, but they hardly give humans a chance to improve their lives in this country. What you see about this country is mostly bullshit propaganda. I just figured that out when I was a cub, and sadly that was something Bo never realized."

"Fine!" Anger carved its way across Bo's suddenly and intensely earnest face. It was as if he sobered up in an instant. "You're right. Our country kind of sucks. Why do you think all I do is drink? My father and my mother are both ashamed of me, and they won't even let me leave the palace unless it's for some stupid public statement like picking you guys up at the airport. They say I have dishonored them simply for being who I am."

Bo glanced at Josh and then shot his eyes to his feet. His anger turned to upset, and a few tears were starting to form in his eyes before he wiped them away. "Do you know how many times I'd thought about running away to the human countries just to escape my hellhole?" he continued. His eyes crawled up Khari's body until they made contact with the lion's eyes.

"You used to be my only friend, Khari. I looked forward to every time you visited, and then that stopped because my parents thought you were corrupting me. And then I had no one. I felt hurt. I felt betrayed. By everyone and everything. When I saw you there at the airport with your human, I was jealous. You had everything I'd ever wanted. It was everything we'd talked about when we were cubs. And there you were, living the dream."

The tears finally swelled at a rate his paws couldn't keep up with. They rolled down his snowy, furry cheeks. Silence took over the room. Even Khari didn't expect that from the panda prince. It was finally some good, painful honesty.

Josh was the first to do something. He put a comforting hand on Bo's back, combing his fingers through the thick black fur near his shoulder. It was a certainly a surprise to see the panda get so emotional, but Josh felt bad for him. It was difficult to imagine what he'd been through, and since Bo was royalty, it was so easy to assume that he'd had an easy life.

"I..." Khari started, pausing to collect his thoughts, "...didn't know that I meant that much to you. I just figured the way you'd started treating me, that you really disliked me."

Bo sniffed, wiping away a smidgen of clear liquid from his black nose. "But you stopped visiting long before I got mad at you."

"We got really busy with stuff because of the war. And my dad couldn't travel here as often. And then when I returned, you started treating me like I was nothing, like we'd never even been friends. How was I supposed to react to that? I'm not a mind-reader. I had no idea what was going on here and what was going on with you."

Josh looked over to his master to catch a glimpse of deep concern. And Bo still had his face buried in his paws, weeping. It was clear that they really did have a great friendship before the war started. Josh frowned. Theirs was another relationship scarred by the squabbles of nations. It made Josh angry, but an odd thought crossed his mind. If it wasn't for the war in the first place, he never would have met Khari, and he never would have had the great life he currently had.

"I got so deep in my hatred I couldn't even tell you the truth. I had to continue the lie each time I saw you. I didn't have to courage to be vulnerable with you or your dad," Bo continued. He finally looked up to meet with Khari. "Can you forgive me?"

Khari's chest expanded as he took in a deep breath, letting it out as a long sigh. "I don't know if I can. I am, however, sorry that I'd left you or abandoned you. It really wasn't my intention at all. But we have disputes that extend well beyond our personal problems. I can't just disregard them and forgive you and your parents for the grief you've been causing us."

"Then how..." Bo paused. His brow furrowed in earnest and sincerity. "Then how can I make it up to you? I have no control over my parents or their decisions. Even if I was to talk with them about my feelings or opinions, they'd just brush them away like they always do. I'm not, and never will be, as assertive as you, Khari." He finally took note of Josh rubbing his back to assuage his upset and discomfort. A smile curled along his black lips as he looked at the human with longing. Khari caught that look in his eye.

"Maybe not," Khari said. A sly smirk snuck across his muzzle. "But I think I might be able to teach you how to be a little more assertive."

"Really? Do you think that would make a difference?" Bo's eyes shot back to the lion.

Khari finally took a seat on the other side of Josh and placed a paw on his auburn hair, ruffling it a little. "Remember when we were teenagers and talked about how cool it would have been to have a little, human friend to play with?"

Josh wondered where exactly his master was going with this.

Bo nodded. "Yes, I do. You were the one that got me thinking about humans in... um... different ways. I still remember that magazine you gave me."

Josh imagined that the panda's cheeks were getting pretty red again under that thick fur of his.

Khari guffawed, slapping his kneed. "Hah! Do you still have that?"

The panda looked down to his bare feet paws and wiggled his toes. Josh couldn't even imagine the deep, dark shade of red that Bo's cheeks were now. Bo swallowed a hard lump in his throat. "I did for a while," he finally replied. "It took some effort keeping it away from my parents, but they still found it eventually."

"Oh, shit. What was their reaction?"

Josh was looking back and forth between him. It was like night and day between how they were talking to each other now and just two hours prior. If he assumed correctly, it was quite easy for them, after the truth had been revealed, for them to be friends again. It certainly seemed that way.

"Not good," Bo frowned. "They'd called me sick and twisted - a pervert. They reminded me of my duty as prince and that they wouldn't put up with such an abomination for a son."

Both Khari and Josh were on the verge of crying for Bo at that moment. Neither of them had imagined it was that bad. "I'm so sorry for that, Bo." Khari put his paw on the pandas back, along with Josh's hand. "I didn't mean for you to get into trouble."

Bo shook his head. "It's not your fault, Khari. I've never liked my parents. Which is partly why I always looked forward to when you and your dad visited. I saw your dad as more of a father than my own."

Josh knew that sentiment well. And he was sure that if Matt was there, he too would have known the feeling. Khari's father, despite being quite an eccentric fellow, was a very good lion. It was easy to look up to him.

"Well, both my father and I are back, so let's make the most of it, shall we?" Khari said. The topic was quite depressing, and the lion had a way of cheering things up. Josh was still worried, however, about how exactly he was going to do that.

"And how do we do that?" Bo asked. "Nothing is going to change. You and your dad will leave and everything will go back to exactly how it was. My parents will be the same assholes they always were and always will be."

"Then we must really work on building your confidence to stand up to them."

"I'm sorry, Khari. But what on Earth could you possibly do to make that happen?"

Josh wore a weak smile. He, too, was skeptical of exactly what Khari could do for Bo. Confidence isn't something that can be gained in a single night.

"Josh," Khari said. His paw landed back on his slave's shoulder and started massaging it lightly. "I want you to finish that kiss with Bo."

"WHAT!?" exclaimed both the human and the panda.

"Obviously this good-looking panda has some self esteem issues. There's nothing like making out with someone that helps give that a good boost."

"B-but weren't you just up in arms about him kissing me like five minutes ago?" Josh countered.

"Things change," he answered. "Besides, I caught you looking at him a few times with that hungry stare you often give me. Don't you think he's sexy?"

Bo was frozen. He couldn't believe the conversation that was going on in front of him. Or the fact that a human could ever be attracted to him. He still had a lingering feeling that such deviant behavior was inherently wrong. Even if it was a fantasy of his.

Josh shrugged his shoulders, his eyes bouncing between Bo's broad, fluffy face and those lusciously wide and flat feet of his. The answer was clear. "Yes, I think he's hot. Especially those big feet of his. I would be lying if I said I haven't already fantasized about getting down there and worshipping them like I worship your feet."

Bo's eyes went wider. None of it was still quite registering in his mind. It was all so hard to believe.

"Alright." Khari was wearing that usually smug mug of his. "Then get in there and finish that kiss. And Bo?" Khari bent over Josh to whisper to the panda. "I suggest you give him a lot of tongue. He likes that."

"I... I... I..." Bo choked on his words. A gigantic lump in his throat was preventing him from speaking.

Josh just rolled his eyes. "Fine," he said. He climbed up to his knees on the bed and stretched his hands and arms to the back of Bo's head.

"I... mmph--"

His stuttering stopped the moment Josh's wet lips sunk into his. His lids fell over his eyes and he let Josh go to work. The human went all along his short muzzle, being sure to taste each inch of his smoky lips. Bo let out a soft grunt and pressed forward. Josh had done enough. He wanted his own taste now.

After massaging the outside of the human's lip, he did exactly what Khari had suggested. His jaws separated and he twisted his head. There wasn't too much room, but he let his tongue slip out of his mouth and straight into Josh's.

Josh allowed it to fill him, taking up every inch of space between his tongue and the roof of his mouth. It twisted and ground against his soft, sensitive flesh and it felt great. Anthros were much better kissers than humans. The best part being how much of their long tongues they could slide inside and massage every sensual millimeter.

While Bo's tongue worked the inside of Josh's mouth, their lips continued to caress and tease each other on the outside. The young panda was already getting hard and rubbing his crotch. Kissing a human was a fantasy-come-true. It was no surprise he was already sporting a stiff boner.

"Get in there deeper, Bo," Khari commanded. "Take control of him and get the pleasure you want. Josh will like it anyway." Bo didn't make a move, so Khari did it for him. The lion grabbed the back of the panda's head with a heavy paw and pushed him farther over Josh's face. Josh's mouth vanished as the bear's jaws wrapped around it.

Bo didn't have much control over it. His tongue slid effortlessly along Josh's tongue and even down into his throat. He puckered his lips over the human's cheeks and wiggled his tongue, tickling the upper part of Josh's throat. Josh lean in and took more of it. The feeling was delightful.

The bear tasted the human for a few more seconds like that before he pulled back with a loud and wet smacking sound. Josh was dazed. It was a very intense kiss, even a little more intense than some of his make-out sessions with his master.

Josh glimpsed Bo stroking his hard cock underneath his clothing. The bear noticed the human staring and stopped. He gulped and shot his head to the floor. It was clear that he was embarrassed from it.

"It's alright," Josh said. He felt sorry for him again. With a tender grip, he grabbed the panda's paw and put it back on his crotch. Together they massaged the bulge there. "Don't be ashamed of it."

"You can't be confident if you can't accept every part of who you are, Bo," Khari explained. "That includes what turns you on."

"I love it. But it feels wrong."

"That's just your parents speaking." Khari pushed Josh even closer to Bo, so they were nearly all huddled together. He added his paw to the mix and started rubbing and fondling the bear's balls. It made Bo wince and moan with pleasure. "Let your body speak for you," he finished.

"Are you s-sure about this?" The panda wasn't used to someone else rubbing his balls.

"Absolutely. I'll be your confidence coach and Josh here will be your subject."

"Hey," Josh objected. "Do I not get any choice in this?"

"You are a slave. Remember?" A wicked smirk twisted along the line down his muzzle. "And are you actually telling me you wouldn't like to do this? Must I remind you of the drool you wiped from your mouth when you first saw Bo's bare feet?"

Josh sniffed in disapproval. To him, that wasn't the point. It was the fact that he was being forced to do something with someone else. Even _if_he approved of the idea.

"I... I don't want to do anything if Josh doesn't want to."

"It's not up to him, Bo. He'll do exactly what I tell him to do. He'll do exactly what you tell him to do. Go ahead. Issue an order."

Josh still glared at Khari as the panda's eyes bounced between the two. Bo was uncertain what to do. He didn't want to ruin anything with a human that was attracted to him.

"Well?" Khari puffed. He rested his paws on his hip, tapping a single finger. Bo still didn't do, or say, anything. "Fine!" The lion gave up and shoved Bo to his back on the bed. He skirted the side of the bed as he pulled the chubby bear farther toward the head of it until his feet hung just a few inches over the edge. "I'll do it myself," he finished. "See those juicy, meaty feet, Josh?"

Josh rolled his eyes, but he also swallowed a fair amount of spit. Seeing the flat, fat, and padded bottom of the bear's feet was causing him to drool. And those toes were nice and plump, too. The urge to just dive in and suck them was powerful. His brow sunk over his eyes as he broke his staring. He shot his sights over to Khari, who was standing with his arms crossed. "Yes, of course I see them, master."

"Then get to work," he commanded.

Bo's eyes still darted back and forth between Khari and Josh. The incredulity rendered him speechless.

Josh's back and crotch tingled. The temptation to taste the bear was conquering his body. But part of him wanted to defy Khari, just this once. An intense restlessness shot through his limbs and they started to tremble with a deep craving. He couldn't fight it anymore. After a short sigh, he slipped down from the bed and pulled himself over to the bottom of Bo's left foot.

The panda's eyes went wide. It was the oddest of sights for him. But even weirder was the feeling of the human's tongue pressing deep into his flat pad and running upward to his toes. The sensation made his entire body tingle and twitch with a shocking pleasure. He let out a short, high-pitched grunt before letting all of his air out in a long moan. His toes curled and pressed into the top of Josh's forehead.

"Oh, wow!" Bo exclaimed, his lids closing tight over his eyes.

Khari was beaming, but his arms were still crossed. "He's quite good at it, isn't he?"

"Fuck yeah! Oh my god!" The bear's voice rumbled all the way down to his feet and Josh's lips. Josh couldn't help but smile a little. He'd never quite gotten that intense of a reaction from the first lick.

"And he's not anywhere near being done, Bo." Khari bent down next to the bed and inched his muzzle up to the panda's fluffy, round ear. "Tell him to suck your big toe," he whispered.

"Mmm..." Bo writhed with delight as Josh started going all over his meaty pad with that wet tongue of his. It was tickling ever little fiber on the bottom of his foot. He was too caught up in the feeling, and it took a while for the lion's words to register. "Ugh..." he groaned, again, "...s-s-suck my big toe, human!"

"There you go!" Khari was quite enthusiastic about it all.

Khari and Bo watched as Josh inched his way back up the panda's foot with the tip of his tongue. It came to rest on the top of Bo's big toe, circling the trimmed claw, tickling the fur that rested just above it. The whole toe was around the size of small potato, but Josh was used to fitting large things it his mouth.

Josh drew his tongue back and licked his lips before descending upon the toe. The moment his lips made contact, his jaws opened with ease and drew the first inch of the large, padded digit. He sucked on the tip for a moment, which was delightfully salty. Even more salty than Khari's foot paw. He pressed forward and let the rest of the big toe to slide along his tongue and fill his mouth. The savory flavor teased his taste buds and made him drool. He started sucking the instant it was all inside of him.

Bo's arms started to shake and his heart fluttered up in his throat. His body wasn't used to such an intense sensation. It had taken over him.

Josh grinned and spun his head around the toe, massaging it with tongue and cheeks. Bo gripped the sheets below his paws and let out a growl between clenched teeth. "Oh... oh... damn... fuck... ah..." His exclamations came after each shallow breath. "Mmmph... aw, fuck... more... suck more of it!"

The panda shove his toe deep into Josh's mouth. It was enough force to push a small portion of it down Josh's throat. He gagged a little but accepted it.

"Now that's what I like to hear," Khari said. He patted Bo on the shoulder and massaged it. The panda had opened his eyes and was watching the human at his foot with new, invigorated hunger. He wiggled his toe inside the human's mouth getting a good feel of the warm, wet flesh. The salty saliva dripped down Josh's throat from the end of Bo's toes.

Josh couldn't help but mumble his own groan of pleasure. He sucked harder on the toe.

"See," the lion continued, "he loves it, Bo. Just keep ordering him around. Show him who's boss."

Bo still wiggled with delight, but he looked up at Khari. "It still feels wrong. It's still kind of awkward."

"That's exactly why you need the practice."

"Then... w-what should I ask for now?"

"Don't ask me." A faint scowl crossed the lion's face. He was starting to realize just how much work it was going to be. "It's your body. Listen to what it wants. Listen to those little cravings you feel in your gut and tell Josh to satisfy them for you."

"A-alright..." Bo was still wincing from the delightful tickle of Josh's tongue on his toes. Josh had moved on to the panda's next toe down the line. The bear's brow was low over his lids as he concentrated on what his body wanted, perhaps a bit too much. "Um... h-human... w-would you please--"

"No - no - no!" Khari growled, shaking his head. "Do you think you're going to get his attention when you're st-st-stuttering? Move over!" The lion gave his paws a strong wave, gesturing for them to scoot closer toward the middle of the bed. He climbed on and crawled over to the foot of the bed where Josh was. He made sure that Bo was looking at him. "I can't believe my old friend, a bear, has jelly for a spine. It must be all that alcohol. Now watch, listen, and learn..." His mane twisted with his heavy head to look at Josh. He snuck a finger under Josh's collar and pulled him away from the bear's foot. "Look at me, slave."

Josh met with the lion's golden eyes. The light in Bo's room was dim, but they still glowed like usual. "Yes, master?"

"Get on the floor. On your back," Khari demanded. "This panda has been a doormat for way too long it seems. It's about time the tables turn. He needs an opportunity to experience what it's like doing the stepping instead." Josh went to get on his back, but his master stopped him. "Not like that, slave. Take off those awful clothes." Khari turned to Bo. "And you too, bear. Take off your clothes."

"A-are we - I mean - is... is this really happening?"

Khari passed the bear a single, slow nod. Bo noticed a hunger in the lion's eyes that he'd never seen before. It was, however, a glimmer with which Josh was all too familiar. Together, Josh and Bo removed their clothing, tossing them to the sides of the bed.

Bo sat up in the bed and stared at Josh, wide-eyed. His blushing was evident in his eyes. The human didn't even notice the big panda gawking at his junk as he fondled it. He was already hard, but his nut sack had stuck a bit to his thighs. That and it was a little itchy from those gaudy robes.

When Josh finally looked up, he found both the bear and the lion eyeing him. Small beads of drool were forming little strings down the corners of their black lips. Josh imagined that's what they probably looked like as teenagers, flipping through the pages of whatever "magazine" they'd mentioned.

The panda bear's breathing quickened and he licked his lip. He was like a carnivore staring at a guaranteed meal after weeks of starvation. It was certainly an apt metaphor. Josh assumed Bo had never done anything with a human.

"On your back, slave," Khari repeated.

Josh did as he was told. His ass slid along the carpet that lined the bed until he was in the right position to lie before the panda. He was parallel with the foot of the bed. The end of it shuffled and creaked as the big bear scooted over. Bo's knees bent over the edge and his feet dangled just above Josh. He leaned over the side to take a look at the human below him.

The panda's chubby belly flowed over his thighs by a few inches and Josh got a glimpse of the bear's boner. It popped out from its sheath and crept over the edge so the human could see its head. There was a small dribble of white goo oozing from the tip of it. The thing had a pink, fleshy color and was shorter than Josh would have expected. It was large, in comparison to any human penis, but it wasn't even close to being as big as Khari's.

Subconsciously, one of Bo's paws had snuck below his belly and started rubbing all over his crotch. He pulled at his furry balls and they fell over the edge, dangling just a few inches over it. The bear's fondling filled the air with his sex, and Josh caught a whiff of it. It was almost smoky like some kind of burnt hardwood, and it reminded Josh of fresh leather. Josh didn't know exactly why it was the case, but anthro body odor was so much more delightful than human body odor.

"What are you waiting for, Bo?" Khari broke the bear's trance. "He's at your disposal. Do with him as you wish."

Bo probably would have been alright just staring at the naked human and jerking off above him. In fact, Josh smiled at the thought of that. Just having the panda jerk off on the bed with his huge, flat foot on his face and crotch. He'd jerk as he sucked on the other big toe and the bear would cum right onto his chest with that hot seed. The human shuddered at the thought - a short fantasy that made his erection stand taller. And Bo noticed it, grinning with more hunger.

The panda bear's first move was to sneak his left foot down between the human's thighs. The heavy foot inched upward along the inside of Josh's legs until the meaty pad made contact with his balls. Josh jerked. Bo smiled with delight, licked his fat lips, and gave the human's nut sack a tender rub. His foot was large enough to stroke the underside of Josh's boner as well. He forced the hard cock down to the human's belly and rubbed it against that. But his toes were still playing with the human's testicles.

Josh let out a stifled groan that was cut short by Bo's other foot. The huge thing fell down over his mouth. It was wide and long enough to cover and engulf all of Josh's face. A rapid flush of lust flew over Josh the moment it made contact. It was like pure instinct. His hand flew to the top of the panda's foot and he shoved it hard into his face. The supple, rough pad took him eagerly, consuming all of him: his nose, his eyes, his mouth, his cheeks, his chin, and his forehead. All of it vanished into the meat of the bear's foot.

"I can push it into your face by myself if that's what you'd like, human," Bo offered.

Khari shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Don't ask him. Just do it!"

Bo's brow furrowed. He was frustrated, but that feeling was exactly what fueled his next action. He took it out on Josh. "Fine," he said and pushed his foot into Josh face, twisting it a little. "Is that what you want, huh? Is that what you want to see? You want me to mark this human with my foot? Because my feet get really slippery. I'm sure it's especially hot and oily for him. He'll get a nice, damn whiff of my scent all over his little face."

"Yes!" Khari exclaimed and clapped once with his paws. "That's perfect. Keep doing that."

Josh also exclaimed the same thing as Khari, but for a different reason. But his voice didn't travel past the inches of padded meat that swallowed his face. His eyeballs were ready to roll to the back of his head. It felt so intoxicatingly erotic.

And Bo was correct about his foot. It really was extra slippery, covered in hot, sweaty oil, and marked with pungent pheromones.

Josh's tongue escaped his mouth. He wanted a taste of it. There wasn't much room but the thin, warm liquid that lined the bottom of the panda's coarse foot was just waiting to seep into the human's mouth. Josh's tongue absorbed it with fervor, and it pleased his taste buds with its surprisingly sweet flavor. Josh had expected it to be more salty, but perhaps its saccharine notes were due to all the ice wine the panda drank.

The sweet reward was registering hard in his brain. Within a matter of a second, it became a new temptation - a new craving. His body desired more of it.

"Oh? You want a taste?" Bo noticed. "Alright, human. I'll allow you this pleasure. But make sure you get all of it. I want you to appreciate every inch of my royal flavor."

"That's it! Make him realize who's in control here." Khari was getting excited, and Josh assumed - correctly - that his master was now sporting quite a hard erection. It was also the same case for him. He didn't think he could have gotten any harder, but the pressure between his belly and the panda's other foot grew to a whole new level of intensity.

Bo pulled his foot away by just a single inch, giving Josh the room he'd need. The heat continued to pour down from the bottom of the bear's foot and down onto Josh's sweaty face. But it wasn't the human's sweat.

Josh went right to work. He pulled the panda's foot forward until the heel was pressed against his lip. His jaws separated and he let his lips wrap around the edge of the thick, black pad. He ran his tongue all over, giving enough time for the panda's delicious oils to drip down all over it. Every few inches he stopped and rubbed his tongue against the roof of his mouth to savor the honey-like flavor. More and more. He wanted all of it.

The panda's other foot continued to stroke Josh's overly stiff and pulsing erection. The bear felt the pounding of blood coursing through the human's cock on his sensitive pad. It was clear the human could orgasm at any moment, but Bo was unsure whether or not he wanted it to happen that way. Josh's body started to writhe beneath him. He made a quick decision and stopped stroking the human's cock to Josh's disappointment.

"No, human," Bo said, catching Josh's disapproval. "We're going to save that for later."

"Good..." Khari added. He was watching it all unfold before him, biting his lip. "I was hoping to get in on the action at some point."

"Lick up the rest of it, and we'll see about taking care of that for you. But not before you take care of mine," Bo added. He started to pump his cock again, getting it ready for the human. Two of his fat fingers pulled back his furry sheath, revealing the entire length of his short, pink, and meaty member. His gaze shot over to Khari. "And while he's finishing up down there, why don't you get over here, lion."

A single eyebrow went high on the lion's face. "What?"

The panda bit his lip. He was still caught up in the feeling of Josh's tongue on the bottom of his foot. "My cock is hard and ready for some attention, Khari. Get over here and start sucking."

"Noooope!" Khari exclaimed, crossing his bulky arms again. "I appreciate you getting a frisky, but before you speak to me like that, you have to earn it."

"And just how-ooo..." he groaned with Josh's tongue slipping between his toes, "...would I earn it?"

"Beat me in a sparring match sometime. Then - maybe - I'll allow you to order me around like that."

"How about right now-ooo..." he growled again as Josh slurped up the last bits of the panda's foot juices on his final toe pad. His foot slipped out of Josh's hands as he rolled toward Khari on the bed. The panda swiped at the lion, missing by an entire foot, and the lion didn't even move.

"Learning to be dominant and assertive also includes knowing which battles to fight. And trust me, panda; this is one you don't want to fight."

"Oh, come on! It's just a little bit of fun. And I want to know what it feels like to have that rough lion's tongue on my cock. I swear I won't cum in your mouth. I'm saving that for the human."

Josh assumed that either the panda was still drunk from earlier, or he was getting drunk on his newfound power. It was quite amusing to watch the chubby panda crawl across the bed. Josh got a good look at Bo's wide ass and stubby tail before he launched himself at Khari. And even though the panda was a big guy, the lion just tossed him aside, right back to the middle of the bed.

He charged at Khari on his hand and knees. Khari just placed a paw on the panda's face and held him away as the bear took more swipes at him. None of them made contact, and the lion rolled his eyes. "Just give it up, Bo."

"Fine. I give up," said the dejected and defeated panda. He plopped back down to the bed with his muzzle pointed at the human, who was now sitting on the foot of the bed. His frown turned into a calculated grin the moment his eyes caught Josh. "If I can't wrestle you, I know just who to try next," he whispered. It was soft enough so no one could hear him.

Josh was unaware of the panda's intentions as the bear approached. Bo's burly arms wrapped around him from behind and the bear rolled onto his back with the human sinking into his belly. Surprised, Josh started struggling. He felt the panda's throbbing boner slide between his legs, which the bear pinned together with his own. Bo had both his legs and arms wrapped around him. It was a grapple from which Josh wouldn't be able to wriggle free. But he tried. And the bear just squeezed tighter.

"You're not going anywhere except beneath me, human," Bo barked playfully. His hot breath was ruffling Josh's hair from above.

Josh saw his master observing them from the side of the bed. His face was carved with a smug smirk. He was obviously very entertained, even though Josh was wearing an expression that said, "Are you going to do anything about this?"

"Hey. What do you want me to do?" Khari shrugged his shoulders, chuckling. "He's a horny bear ready to dominate the weakest one in the room. And that just happens to be you."

Bo hugged the human tight and rolled onto his belly, pinning Josh between him and the bed. The bear's fat erection slid up and started teasing the human's ass.

Josh exhaled with a short groan as the panda's weight pushed the air out of him. His front half sunk into the bed. His back half sunk into Bo's chubby and furry belly.

"Kiss me," the bear demanded. He forced Josh's head to the side, and before the human even realized what was happening, Bo was sucking on his tender lips. The panda started humping and grinding against him. The bear's swollen boner inched down toward the human's hole and teased the tight flesh. Bo moaned into Josh's face as he forced his tongue into Josh's mouth.

He bent back off of the human and crawled forward on his knees. His cock slid up Josh's ass crack until it plopped out onto his bare back. The panda scooted forward until his big butt sat and swallowed up most, if not all, of Josh's back. He held his weight off of him for a moment as he grabbed Josh's by his side and flipped him so that he could sit on Josh's belly and chest.

The panda had Josh pinned underneath his ass, squeezed between his fat, furry thighs. His thick but short erection was in one of his paws before he let it flop down onto Josh's face. The bear's pungent musk hit Josh hard. The air was hot right next to the fat crotch, and the pulsing, pink dick on his lips was even hotter. "Like I said, human..." Bo repeated. His chunky, wet tongue slid along both of his black lips. "You're not going anywhere. Especially when you're under this fat ass. Now get to work like a good little human."

The bear leaned forward and put more of his weight on Josh. It pushed more air out of Josh's lungs and forced his mouth open just long enough for the panda's cock to slip right inside. His mouth and tongue close around the head, and Bo let out a long moan. His big body jerked forward, and more of his fat cock slid inside the human. Pre cum started oozing from the tip and onto the back of Josh's tongue. Josh had no choice but to taste the panda's goo, which was sweet like his feet.

This time, Josh took in more of the bear's cock willfully and eagerly. That same taste he'd craved earlier like a drug compelled him to suck it out from the panda's boner. He used his bottom lip and his tongue to slide the pre down Bo's hard shaft and to the back of his throat where he swallowed it with delight.

"Mmm..." Bo purred, leaning farther over Josh. More of his hard cock took a dip into the human's warm, wet maw. "I can't believe what I've been missing." He let his hips drop and Josh took in all of him. The panda's chubby belly and crotch engulfed the human's face. Josh's head vanished between the bear and the bed.

Khari smiled and chuckled. "Now do you see why it's so good to be more assertive, Bo?

"Yes!" exclaimed the panda prince. However, it was more in response to the wonderful feeling that tingled on the head of his cock rather than to Khari. He dropped to the bed and the rest of his intimate meat slipped down into Josh's throat, deeper than before. It slid past his tongue and down into the eager, spreading hole of his esophagus. He swallowed more of the bear's pre as it dripped from the head.

Josh's face was covered and surrounded by the bear's crotch. The heat from it was intense, but it was erotic as hell. He could smell nothing other than the bear's sex. That smoky smell added a delightful and intriguing flavor to the bear's sweet cock. Josh massaged the thick boner in his mouth with his cheeks and tongue. It pulsed with each suckle of his lips, and he could feel the weight of the panda twitching above him.

Bo let the smooth muscles of the human's mouth and throat massage his short but hefty shaft. It was meaty enough to fill Josh's mouth, but only long enough to insert about an inch down his throat. The feeling was quite like nothing he'd ever experienced. The panda knew how great it felt to jack off, but the sensation of someone's warm, wet flesh on his cock was an entirely different thing. It was a pleasure on a whole new level.

The bear succumbed to his body's craving and started bucking his hips and crotch into Josh's face. His hips swayed over the human's mouth pushing and pulling his swiftly swelling erection. He didn't even know he could get as hard as he was. Josh's jaws even separated another inch to accommodate for the extra, blood-filled meat. Bo pushed hard and went as far as he could, forcing Josh to deep-throat.

Josh's gag reflex tried to take over, but he fought against it, accepting all of the panda. His lips went down the length of Bo's thick shaft. The sheath went with them as they pressed into the bear's fat crotch. The fur and flab eagerly took him, swallowing up his face.

Bo slipped his paw between Josh's head and the bed. He held the human, sunken in his crotch, for a second before pulling back out and letting him breath. Josh took in a sharp breath of the bear's potent musk. It was hot and humid as the bear's sweat was starting to mingle with the air. And after feeling the human take his breath, the panda went back to work, thrusting his cock right back in.

He took complete control and fucked the human's face hard. He'd hump, thrust, twist and grind all over Josh's face. "Oh, damn!" he growled. The underside of his cock throbbed hard against the human's tongue. "I... I think I'm gonna..."

"Not so fast!" Khari stopped Bo. He lifted the bear's head to look at him. Bo paused, mid thrust, giving Josh the opportunity to take another breath. "I said I'd like to join," he finished.

Josh heard the sheets rustling above him on the bed. He felt the panda's chubby belly shift and something crawled down along his cheeks. He recognized the feeling - and the smell - right away. It was Khari's feet pressing hard against his cheeks, the toes tickling his chin. The lion had gotten into position in front of the bear. "Since you've already got a hole to play with, I need one, too. Come here, Bo."

Khari grabbed the back of Bo's neck and pulled him down. His body and crotch went with him, slowly inserting his swollen and ready-to-explode cock back down Josh's throat. The panda's black lips slid along the whole length of Khari's long erection. The lion was big, but Josh didn't sense any struggle to eat the whole thing. Deep-throating the lion was a feat Josh had difficulty with. But Bo, on the other hand, didn't seem to have a single problem with it.

The bear's head and body bobbed over the lion's cock. The motion also went well with his hips, continuing the deep fucking of Josh's face. Khari would pull Bo forward along his shaft and push him hard into his crotch, which forced Bo's cock to do the same to Josh underneath. And Josh felt it pulsing hard again.

"That's it, Bo. One of the best ways to learn dominance is to experience it from others," Khari went on, letting out a soft grunt each time he pushed the panda back down his cock. "Suck it harder, and I'm sure there'll be a sweet reward for you at the end." The lion's head went back and he closed his eyes. A long sigh of satisfaction poured out from his lungs.

Josh heard Bo mumble something, but knowing Khari, the panda wouldn't be going anywhere until he got that surprise he'd mentioned. And Josh was sure he'd be getting his own surprise soon enough. Especially with the way the bear's cock was swelling and pulsing in his mouth. His crotch was twitching and grinding at a more chaotic, uncontrolled pace. It may have been because he was sucking off a very well endowed lion, but Josh knew better. He knew that Bo's body was begging to release its seed into the human, who was still wrapped around his sensitive cock.

Khari got more forceful with the bear. He wrapped his big paws around Bo's head and forced it back and forth at the pace he wanted, which was faster than the bear had been sucking. That also made Bo hump Josh's face faster than before. It was a somewhat smooth ride before, but the new speed made it hard for Josh to keep up. Bo's thick shaft was actually coming all the way out and then being shoved right back into the human's mouth. The wet sounds of Josh's lips smacking and slurping around the bear's cock filled the room.

Bo started to groan so loud that Josh was afraid someone else in the palace would hear him and barge into the prince's chambers. He could only image how loud it would have been if the panda's mouth wasn't gagged by a meaty, feline cock. It would have alerted the entire palace.

Khari also let out a stifled roar. He kept it quiet enough, though. He knew it'd be best not to notify the neighbor's of their particular actions. But Josh recognized that roar the moment he heard it. His master was right on the edge. He was ready to explode. Just like the bear.

"Harder," Khari demanded. "Harder, Bo. Suck it harder! And faster!" The lion's paws clenched, his fingers digging deeper into the black fur on the panda's head. He took more control and forced Bo to suck nothing but the head of his cock. "I hope you're ready for that surprise," he said.

"Mmmhmm," Bo responded with a garble. It made Josh have a short, but amusing, thought. It reminded him of what Kalya had said about the panda prince's fascination with large cats. Perhaps this was the fascination she was referring to without knowing what it really meant. Because it sounded like Bo was eager to have that hot, lion seed fill his mouth. He was at least very willing to go to town on that feline boner.

And Josh admitted to himself in that moment that he, too, wanted some hot, gooey liquid to fill him. He wanted it just as much as the panda, because all that bucking, grinding, and humping on his face was just too much to resist. And the bear's cock tasted delightful. It was so sweet from all that pre cum. So it didn't matter if it was bear seed squirting down his throat this time. He just wanted that craving to be sated.

Khari felt the intense bolt of pleasure shoot down his spine and activate all the necessary muscles for orgasm. His body tensed up and he instinctually shoved Bo's face all the way down his shaft and into his crotch. His cock pressed right at the back of the bear's wet throat, tickling it with his cock ring. It erupted from him. The first load shot out and straight down Bo's hungry throat, and the bear swallowed it right away. The subsequent spurts oozed and drizzled from the tip onto the back of the panda's tongue.

Khari moaned loudly and Bo did the same, even though the lion's cock was still muffling his intense howls of pleasure. The feeling of the lion's hot jizz inside him sent him way over the cliff. It was very fast. Josh didn't even see - or feel - it coming until the bear thrust his hip forward for the last time. Bo's meat filled Josh's mouth as it swelled. And whatever space wasn't filled by the panda's cock, it was rapidly taken over by the panda's sticky semen.

Josh's face was sunken into the bear's furry and chubby crotch. He didn't have much room to breathe, but he didn't really need it. He was too caught up in the wonderful feeling of the bear's cock throbbing inside of him and pumping out load after hot load. The cum filled him up so much it started to spill out from the corners of his mouth. He didn't want to waste any of it though, so Josh started guzzling it down his hatch. Each big gulp was replaced by another big spurt from the bear's cock. He didn't know when it would end!

In a way, Josh felt bad for the big guy. He had enough experience to realize just how pent up Bo was. So he kept swallowing load after load, even to the point that he felt his stomach expanding and giving him signals to stop eating so much cum. And despite devouring as much of it as he did, it still drizzled down his cheeks and jaw.

Josh heard a slurping sound from above him, signaling that Khari's orgasm was over and Bo had sucked out the last bits. But the panda's body was still jerking, grinding, and humping against his face. Bo's orgasm was still going and Josh could hardly keep up as the bear slid farther up, forcing his cock deeper into Josh's throat. It had finally stopped pumping out all of that hot jizz, but Josh figured - correctly - that there was one last thing to do.

The panda was panting. "Suck the rest of it out, human," he demanded. "Wrap your tight, wet lips around my cock and suck it. I don't want a single drop wasted." He lifted some of his weight off of Josh and gave just enough room to move his lips all the way to the tip.

Josh did as Bo commanded. He took in a deep breath and then gobbled up all of the panda's short, thick shaft. He went all the way to the bear's furry, sex-filled crotch. The air was really muggy, filled with the bear's hot, sweaty musk as well as the smoky scent wafting from his master's feet, which were still nested right next to his cheeks. It was a delightfully erotic space of lustful aromas.

Josh squeezed his lips tight around the base of Bo's cock and pulled away. The supple, pink tissue moved with him, forcing the remaining bear seed to drizzle out onto the length of his tongue. And with a wet, smacking noise, he lapped up the last bit on the very tip of it. He ran the white goo along the roof of his mouth and savored it. It was just as honey-like as all the pre he'd tasted earlier.

"There you go..." Bo continued to pant as he rolled off of Josh. He lied right next to him with his knees pointed upward. His chest was rapidly rising and falling. "That... was quite a lot... I dumped into your mouth. I hope... you didn't mind. I hope... it was delicious. I'm sure... it was pretty sweet... from all the ice wine I drink."

"It was," Josh replied.

"Oh, really?" Khari was intrigued and bent forward to find Josh with his eyes closed. The human was still blissfully full with bear seed and sex hormones. His cock was still standing tall as ever. The lion noticed the streams of panda jizz, which had drizzled down Josh's cheeks. "I may just want to have a taste," he said.

Khari curled forward until he was within licking distance of Josh's face. Josh was still caught up in his warm, fuzzy feeling that he wasn't even aware of what his master was doing. The lion's tongue inched out and pressed against the ridge of the human's jaw. It ran upward with a quick slurp, and Khari smacked his mouth as he gave the semen a good taste. "Yep," he agreed. "It _is_really sweet." He followed up by licking the rest of it up on Josh's face and giving him a quick kiss.

"Well, I can probably whip up some more if you want a better taste," Bo grinned and chuckled. Surprisingly, his cock had not gone flaccid at all. He had it between two of his fat fingers, swaying it back and forth, trying to make it more alluring for the lion. And even though he'd dumped a huge load into Josh, his balls were still very large.

The lion twisted his lips in an odd display as he mulled it over. But the short second that he licked his lip made Josh assume that he was leaning toward pleasing his old friend. "Alright," he said. "You've won me over, Bo. But first..." he hesitated, "...I kind of want a taste of those big feet of yours."

"What!?" Josh exclaimed. He was without words as he stuttered. That was something he never would have imagined coming from his master.

"Well. What can I say? I've seen just how much you enjoy my feet enough times that it's kind of rubbed off on me. I want to know what all the hype is about, and I would have to agree that if it was going to be any foot that I played with..." he lifted Bo's leg up from the bed and licked it, "...it'd be these juicy ones. And damn!" His eyes bounced between Josh and Bo. Josh was shaking his head, chuckling. "That shit is sweet!"

Khari dove right in, pressing the whole front of his muzzle deep into the meaty flesh of the panda's foot. His tongue slid out along the heel and wrapped around all of it. He pulled his muzzle upward and his tongue ran with it, lapping up whatever sweet oils or sweat that remained. And just like it did with Josh, the thin layer of bear essence that lined the bottom of Bo's foot infected the lion. His taste buds were overwhelmed with a flavor worthy of craving.

"I can't believe what I've been missing out on," Khari mumbled before taking in one of the bears toes. It wiggled in his mouth as he sucked on it.

"Mmm..." Bo started groaning and purring again. "That tongue of yours is so awesome, Khari."

The lion's tongue was a bit prickly but Bo's rough, padded foot could handle it. In fact, it gave a much deeper tickle and massage than the human's tongue could. It was a whole new feeling for the panda, but neither was really better than the other. They were each pleasurable in their own right.

Josh frowned. "What about me?"

Bo was shuddering and twitching with delight as he looked at the human. "Well, I do have a free foot. I won't stop you from doing whatever you want with it."

Khari mumbled something as Josh crawled next to him. He'd have a hard time lifting Bo's leg, so he chose to lie next to it instead. And just like the lion, he dove right in, planting his face as far as he could dig it into the panda's eager foot. The coarse but soft flesh wrapped around his cheeks and that earthy smell took him over again. He stuck his tongue out and went to work. It took more time, but Josh was eventually able to make it up to the bear's toes with Khari.

The panda leaned back with his hands behind him. He sucked up his bottom lip and bit it as he watched the lion and the human go to town on his toes. They'd each draw a new toe into their mouths and he'd try and give it a good wiggle to tease them. It made him feel powerful. It was like his feet had the power to rule the world. It was such an erotic thrill for Bo. His cock filled with even more blood as his heart pounded hard against his broad chest.

"It's ready for you, Khari," Bo said. He pulled his sheath up and down his fat shaft, growling with delight. His big balls rolled about in his thick fingers as he played with them, too. And once he had the lion's attention, he drew his furry sheath all the way back, revealing his entire pink, swollen member. It was short and fat but clean and alluring. It would be hard for any sensible person to resist that juicy cock. A sly smirk crawled across the panda's muzzle. "My sweet nectar awaits you."

Khari let out a single laugh and grinned. The bear's big toe inched out from the lion's mouth as he got one last taste. He lowered Bo's leg to the bed and crawled over it until his black lips were just inches from the head of the panda's intimate flesh. It was dripping pre cum again, and Khari caught of whiff of its saccharine allure. His tongue crept out and the very tip of it pressed right below the oozing liquid. The pre cum dripped down onto the lion's licker. The sweet flavor shot right to Khari's brain, and it signaled a temptation to guzzle as much of it as possible.

His paw crawled forward and his fingers coiled around the base of Bo's cock, replacing the bear's paw. He snaked his tongue all the way up to the tip, cupping all of the sweet liquid along the way. It went into his mouth with his tongue and he rubbed it against the roof of his mouth to savor it. He sucked it all down, delighting in its warmth. He was ready for more.

His thick lip wrapped around the bear's cock and he took in the oozing head. The pre was still emptying from the tip. The panda was like a jizz factory that just wouldn't stop. But Josh and Khari would never complain about it.

Khari twisted his muzzle and tongue along the short shaft as he took it all into his mouth. Bo let out a loud moan and clutched the sheets below his paws. The lion's mouth was warmer and definitely rougher than the human's mouth. It stimulated much more than the panda was expecting. Instinct took over and he thrust his crotch into Khari's face.

The lion's eyes rolled as he purred. When the bear jerked forward, a whole tablespoon of the bear's pre poured out of his boner. Khari didn't even get much of chance to taste it. The gooey substance dribbled down into his throat and he swallowed it. It didn't even hit his tongue.

"Damn," Bo started purring and panting. "This isn't going to take very long. I hope you're ready for your surprise, Khari." The bear opened his eyes just for a second. Khari's muzzle was deep in his furry crotch, and Josh was still going to work on his right foot. He noticed the human's erection, which was still hard as ever. "Why don't you lie down on your back now and let me help you out, Josh. You've earned it."

Josh did just that. He twisted around so he was on his back and his boner was pointed straight up toward the ceiling. Bo's foot swung through the air until it landed on Josh's cock, pressing it into his belly. He started right away. His foot swayed back and forth over the underside of the human's erection, stroking it. Josh tensed up right away. His balls had been begging for release for so long that it would take but a few seconds.

Khari's lips smacked around Bo's cock as he lifted his mouth from it. "I want to help, too," he said. The lion curled into a new position, and he placed his foot alongside Josh's shaft, too. Together, Khari's foot had one side of Josh's boner and Bo's foot had the other.

It was weird having two different feet on his cock, but it felt amazing. The flat, fat, and padded bottom of Bo's foot ate a good portion of it, while the furry portions of Khari's foot tickled the other side. They moved up and down in sync. It was wonderful. Enough so that Josh was already arching his back from the satisfaction. It would not take long at all.

Khari went back to work on Bo's cock, concentrating on pleasuring them at the same time. It was kind of odd for Josh to see his master do all of the pleasuring. But he liked it, and it certainly seemed that Khari was really enjoying himself, too.

"OH!" Bo roared. His arms were trembling against the mattress. He could feel his cock swelling inside of the lion's warm, wet mouth. Unaware of it, he started stroking the human's shaft harder and faster with his foot. Josh let out the same loud howl in response.

The lion picked up the pace, both with his foot and his mouth. It wasn't a race. But he was interested in finding out who would cum first, so he did what he could to please them equally.

Josh was in a state of nirvana. The smells, the sounds, and especially the feeling of their feet engulfing his cock and rubbing hard against it. It was all too much. He dug his heels and his hands into the bed as the lust filled him. It shot straight down his spine and to his crotch. And like a trigger being switched, he exploded in an instant.

His cock throbbed and his seed came pouring out of it, right onto both of their feet into five stupendous spurts. But they kept going. They kept stroking his shaft all over with his slippery seed. Josh couldn't help but write in utter ecstasy as they did so.

And then Bo roared again, letting out a long, loud howl of satisfaction. Khari pulled his head back and tickled the head of the bear's cock with his rough tongue. He knew it was coming, so he prepared himself. He wanted it to fill his mouth just like it did to Josh.

Bo did not disappoint him. Somehow, the bear was able to produce exactly what the lion had wanted. The first load was absolutely gigantic. It came flowing out like cream pouring from a spout. There had to have been close to a full cup of the stuff. And that wasn't the end. The panda's balls and prostate pushed out four more loads, each nearly as large as the last. Khari was surprised just as much as he was thrilled as he let it slide down his throat and into his rumbling and eager stomach.

The panda was right, too. It was just as sweet as he'd bragged about. There had to be some truth to drinking all of that ice wine and the syrupy sweetness of his seed. Khari's body was satisfied as he guzzled all of it down his hatch, but it only turned it into a strong desire he'd want again someday.

Khari slurped up whatever remained on the bear's cock and met with his green eyes. They were the color of the lush forest of the trees around the palace. It made him think of just how much he'd missed Bo. He passed him a weak smile, embarrassed that he'd ever let their relationship fall by the wayside. He crawled away, running his paws down the inside of the panda's thighs.

"Well," Khari stared. He sat back up between the bear's legs. His gaze darted between Josh and Bo. Both of them were doing their best to catch their breaths. "I think that ended up being quite a good lesson in assertiveness. What do you think, Bo?"

"I..." Bo said between breaths, "...I think... that was amazing."

"I'm glad that it felt good. Do you think it helped you in any way?"

"I think it did," the panda answered. He finally caught up with his breath. And so had Josh, who was climbing back up to a seated position like the other two. "There were moments there where I felt powerful. Like I deserved to be listened to and pleasured. It was great."

"So you can see why having a slave can really help with certain things?"

"I can definitely see the appeal of having slaves now. But..."

"But what?"

Bo hung his head before looking at Khari again. He was being coy. "Don't you think it's wrong?"

"Isn't it wrong the way you treat humans in your country. I mean, the ones that live here are basically your servants. Or some other panda's servant."

"That's different. It's their choice. Not all slaves are like Josh or even..." he paused to think of the other slave.

"Matt?" Josh added.

"Yes. Matt. Most slaves don't have the luxury of being with someone they _want_to be with. Both Josh and Matt are very rare exceptions. Nearly every other case is going to be the opposite. It's wrong when there's no choice."

"Is it really, though? Do the human's in your country really have much of a choice? How many other opportunities are the afforded? They basically have no other option than to be your servants, because - god forbid - a panda-owned business hires them for work they're capable of doing."

"They could always leave."

"And what? Pay the exorbitant fees in order to go to a different country? With what money? The money they saved up from their years of being a servant? Please."

"Why are you moving the goal post?" Bo's brow furrowed heavily over his eyes. Josh gritted his teeth because he couldn't help but agree with Bo over his master. "Sure, our country doesn't treat humans as well as it should, but that has nothing to do with whether or not slavery is wrong. Every other nation has outlawed it, except yours. At some point you have to reconsider it. Two wrongs do not make a right."

Khari started to chuckle, which confused Bo and Josh. A smirk was curved along the lion's lips.

"What's so funny?" Bo asked.

"I'm very happy," Khari replied. "I'm glad to see that your balls have finally grown. You can actually stand your own and debate honestly with me now. You have to give yourself some credit for that."

"Does that mean I've convinced you? Because if I did, it would go a long way to improving our nations' relationship."

Khari stopped to think, tapping his fingers on his thigh. "It's definitely something I'll be thinking about much more. However, I know that most lions won't like the idea. It would be a very tough sell to the different prides. There are a few that I know would be on board right away. But it wouldn't be a majority."

"I'm finding it hard to believe that you're considering this, Khari," Josh joined in, grabbing his master's paw. "At least, it sounds like it."

Khari turned to his slave and spoke in earnest. "I have to be honest, Josh. I was all about slavery before you came into my life. But as the months went by with you and me, I started thinking about it more and more," the prince explained. "Frankly, it wasn't something my father ever supported from the beginning. But if you get enough calls-for-action from the prides, then my father's opinion doesn't really matter. I have to admit, too, that my uncle really convinced me that human's didn't deserve much other than being dominated."

He let out a long sigh. His lips were bent down in a slight frown. Bo and Josh were utterly in shock to see the lion getting emotional. "I knew I liked humans. In more ways than one. But human-lovers aren't really held in high regard for most lions. So, I don't know what would have happened if my father had never brought you back with him. I might have remained just as hidden as you, Bo."

Khari smiled. His bright, toothy grin always made Josh feel warm all over. "You pulled a number on me, Josh," he said. "I'd played my part well as a lion prince, but I'd be an idiot not to admit that I fell in love. And I think my father knew that from the beginning. Although, I never told him anything about my attraction to humans or how I really felt about slavery. Somehow. He knew. He's always been a weird genius like that."

They all laughed, knowing full well about the king's quirkiness. A bit of water was forming in Josh's eyes. "I'm very glad it turned out the way it did," he said. "My life has been so much better with you. I can't even describe just how much I love you and the time I spend with you. Each day is a new adventure I'd never thought I'd be living."

Bo didn't know what to say, and he certainly felt a fair bit of jealousy. He was envious of what Khari and Josh had. His old, childhood friend had been given everything they'd dreamed of together. He wanted it, too. He wanted to know the feeling of being loved like that. And it had all started with Josh being a slave of all things.

"I'm happy for you two," the panda added. "Especially you, Khari. I'm sure you know how jealous I am of you. Everything we'd talked about as cubs and teenagers on those short but wonderful visits. It all came true for you. I wish I'd had a father like yours. Perhaps, my life could have ended up the same way."

"Don't talk like that, Bo," Khari sniffed. He wiped a tear from his eye. "What did we just get done teaching you?" The lion took one of the bear's paws into his own and made sure he met with his eyes. "Enough with this passive attitude. Your life is not over, and you have plenty of choice in front of you. You just need to be the one to make it. This lesson was not about taking control of others, it was about taking control of your own actions and your own life."

Bo's muzzle twitched as he closed his eyes and started sobbing. "I know I need to, but it's just so hard. I'd have to leave everything behind. And my parents would be so upset."

"Fuck your parents, Bo," a voice rang from the doorway. It was Matt, and Nuru was standing next to him. It shocked everyone. "If there's one thing I've learned, it's that other people's emotions are not your responsibility. I spent so much of my life managing my drunken father's emotions. It's not worth it. It really isn't. It's best to pack up and leave like I did."

"Wait..." Khari stopped them. "What the hell are you two doing here? And how long have you been listening?"

Nuru ground his giant foot on the floor nervously. It was clear they'd been up to no good. "Um..."

"Someone..." Matt looked up to his anxious master, "...was really worried an assassin was going to try to kill you," Matt replied for Nuru. He also rolled his eyes. "He couldn't sleep, so I insisted we sneak up to your room and take a quick peek. You weren't there, so we went on the hunt. And then..."

Khari gave him a cold, piercing look. "And then?"

Matt cleared his throat. "Well... after the second loud moan from you and Bo, we figured it'd be best to wait it out until you guys were done. And - boy - did that take a long time. And I thought _I_had stamina."

"Bo had quite a lot to give," Josh piped in, joking. It was the truth, however, considering just how full his stomach still felt with that bear's cum.

"That he did," Khari agreed. Bo couldn't help but blush.

"So what does this mean?" Matt asked. "Are you guys all buddy-buddy now?"

"Well..." Bo answered him, feeling he owed it to everyone to explain something. "Khari and I used to be friends before, even though we didn't get to see each other that much. I think we still enjoyed each other's company when we were cubs. And to sum it up, things had changed after the war started."

Nuru and Matt made their way over to the large bed and sat down with them.

"So why the sudden change? Why were my lords invited back after so much time?" Nuru asked. Everyone else nodded in agreement that it was a good question. Khari especially wanted to know the answer to that.

"My father wants a reason to cross your father, Khari. I'd once believed my father really was friends with yours, but I've learned over the years that that's never been the case. You see - my father is really good at wearing the right masks and he plays the game well. That's all it's ever been to him - a game. He feels our alliance with your nation is a hindrance, and it needs to be ended. And I must say that he did a good job convincing me of it."

"And he couldn't just come out and say it?" Khari wondered.

Bo nervously fiddled and fondled with his balls. He was still naked, along with Khari and Josh. None of them seemed to mind, though. "Of course my father can't just make clear public statements like that. He likes to have dirt first. That's why Kalya was collecting information of everyone. We found out exactly where Josh and Matt are from and when they disappeared."

"It was my father's hope that you'd bring slaves with you. And he still plans on using that against you. I thought it was a swell plan. And..." he paused and glanced at Josh, "...my motivations were a little more selfish. I was hoping to save Josh and steal him from you. I guess that was partly due to my jealousy. And I thought it was going to be easy, considering he was a slave and all. I thought, incorrectly, that he would_want_ to be saved."

"And then what?" Khari asked. "He'd become your pet?"

"No... well, maybe. It would have been his choice, but I'm not going to lie and say that it wasn't my hope to sweep him off his feet. It was a romantic dream at best."

"Well, I must admit that it still worked out for you, wouldn't you say?" Josh chuckled. The human's laugh comforted Bo. It was nice to know that Josh didn't feel any contempt for him.

"Yes, I suppose it did. Didn't it? But I did want you to be free. I wanted you to have a new life here in Yogara."

"He's free enough where he is," Khari butted back in. "He can do what he wants."

Josh swallowed a lump and cleared his throat. "In all honesty, that's not true," he said. "Would I really be free to go out and have a job other than do some chores for you or even just be your boyfriend?" Khari pursed his lips, realizing that Josh was right. "I really wanted to be a musician someday. Sure, I probably wasn't ever going to make it big, but it was something I loved. I don't really feel like I can do that now."

Khari went to respond, but Matt interrupted him. "And personally, I wanted to be a chef. Nuru knows how much I love cooking, but what would the chances be that I work one of the restaurants in the capital? I'm sure it's probably zilch. I do get to cook for Nuru, but that's about it."

"Is it that important to you guys?"

"Kind of. Yeah," they both answered.

Bo put a paw on Khari's thigh. "It looks like you got your work cut out for you, my friend. Things may not be as sunny in paradise as you thought."

"I guess not," the lion replied. "But what about you, Bo? And what about the rest of this visit with your parents? Is your father still going to try some kind of smear campaign?"

The panda sighed with a long, deep breath. "I guess there's a choice I have to make. But it would mean defying my father. And if I defy my father, the emperor, then that certainly means they will disown me, and I will carry that title of dishonor the rest of my life."

"I would understand if you cannot do it, friend," Khari said, putting his paw on the bear's thigh. They passed each other weak smiles.

"You need to get the hell out of here anyway." Matt always had a way of getting back on topic. "Your parents don't deserve a child as good as you, Bo. Sure, you started off kind of rough and callous with us, but clearly that's not who you are. And the longer you stay here in the palace the more their wickedness will infect you. I say you take the plunge. Khari and Josh gave you a lesson in assertiveness and dominance. I suggest you put it to good use."

"I..." Bo gulped down something swelling low in his throat, "...I don't know. My heart is racing, and I feel like it's the right thing to do. But it would possibly ruin my life. I guess I need some time to think about it."

"We don't have too much time, Bo. If your father has plans already in motion, then we may not have that luxury," Khari noted.

"Can I be alone now?" the bear requested. It was clear how drained he felt. Not just physically, but emotionally, too. "I need some quiet in order to think."

They all nodded, understanding the gravity of his situation. There really wasn't much more they could do either. They were all in Bo's paws. It would be up to him.

One by one, they exited the prince's chamber. Josh was the last one. He twisted around to look at the panda one last time under the doorway. The big bear looked very solemn, and he caught Josh staring at him. Their eyes locked for a moment.

"You're a good person, Bo," Josh began. "I know things seem harsh in the lion nation, with the slavery and all. However, I was fully with the king when he told me that Khari was going to be the only one who could change the nation for the better and end the war. But now I know differently. You're as much a part of that as him. You, too, can help end the war, but I don't believe it will happen by destroying Khari's character."

"I had a wonderful night with you," he continued. "You're an amazing bear and I think I could easily call you a friend now. And because of that, I want the best for you. And the best for you may mean leaving the palace... and your family."

Josh turned to leave, but Bo stopped him. "Wait," he said. "Thank you for everything you've done for me, Josh. It's only been a day, but you've had one of the biggest impacts on my life. No matter what happens..." he sniffed, sobbing, "...just know that I love and admire you for all of it."

Josh didn't know what to say to that. He simply gave the panda a nod and a faint grin. The door closed behind him as he left the room, catching up to his master. There wasn't going to be any reason to sleep elsewhere, he thought. The word would surely be out by morning. The pandas would have their dirt no matter what they did. It was all up to Bo.

* *

Press conferences were usually pretty dull affairs. That was definitely the case back in the lion nation. But this time, a press conference had consequences that would affect the fate of the world.

It was only their second day with the royal family, and they were already having an afternoon meeting with the press. The emperor called for it without much warning. It made all of them wonder exactly what Bo may have told his parents that morning. But that panda prince wasn't there.

The press was lined up in a row of thirty or so chairs. In front of them, there was a small stage with a bamboo podium. The meeting was taking place in the garden that sat at the bottom of the mountain where the long stairwell crawled up to the palace. The only ones up on the stage were the Emperor Oto, his wife, King Diallo, and Khari.

Josh was the only one down in the garden with them, but he stayed to the back. Matt and Nuru were told to stay at the palace in case something went down there while they were all gone. Everyone's nerves were tense. It was an impromptu thing, and they were all very suspicious of the emperor's intentions.

Emperor Oto was the first to stroll up to the podium. He was wearing the same traditional robes he wore the first day at the airport. "Greetings to all of you!" His big paw waved high in the air.

Josh looked over the crowd. It wasn't just the press that was there. A number of people from the city were gathered in the park. And there were loads of security personnel, mostly pandas. One of the odd things about King Diallo was the fact that he never seemed to have any guards. Khari was the one with the bodyguard, and even the king had told the giant liger to stay back at the palace for some reason. Did he not want his son protected? Josh didn't like the feeling of any of it.

"Emperor Oto! Where is the prince? Doesn't he usually come to these? The young people of this nation really love seeing him," one of the press staff stood to ask the panda. Majority of the press were pandas, but there were a few humans scattered among the black and white. Josh was quite interested in hearing the emperor's answer.

"My son is a very reclusive panda. He may put on a happy face out in the public, but he is actually quite reserved. I told him it was his choice. He didn't have to come down here if he didn't want to. So Bo chose to stay in his room where he likes to spend his day playing video games."

That was a lie. All of it. Josh could hear it in that slippery panda's voice. It seemed that not only did the emperor want to assassinate King Diallo's and Khari's character, but he wanted to destroy his own son's reputation. Something must have gone down between them that morning. And the fact that Bo wasn't there made Josh more anxious.

"Jana Untari," a female panda stood and said her name. Josh recognized it. He tried to jog his memory to figure out exactly how he knew her. "I apologize, my grace," she continued, "but that doesn't really seem like the Bo I know and love. And I've had multiple interviews with him."

That was it. Josh recognized that name from the newspaper he read on the airplane. It was an odd name, so it was easy to remember. That and the article had had a picture of her, too. And that was definitely her, with the wide glasses and all.

"Trust me, Jana. I've spent much more time with my son," he chuckled nervously. It was kind of sad to see, really. Bo's father wasn't even confident enough to say that without laughing like it was some kind of joke. He cleared his throat again. "I think I know much more about him than you."

Some of the other press laughed along with the emperor. Jana, as well as the majority, was not amused. It seemed that they, too, really wanted to see Bo there.

"Is there anything we could offer him to get him down here?" another press member offered.

"Why is this press conference becoming all about my son?" It was clear the emperor was becoming very irate. His thick, fuzzy brow was heavy over his eyes, and that made Josh let out his own chuckle. It was always amusing to see high status people get grilled by the press. "I called this conference, and_I'll_ be the one to direct it."

Josh also watched King Diallo with earnest. He was unsure whether or not the king knew about what had transpired the previous night. But with that slight smirk on the older lion's face, it made him wonder. He didn't know how that lion could always be so cool and collected. Was he not worried that the panda emperor was about to out them as some kind of evil villains?

All of the press sat back down again. Emperor Oto cleared his throat and that smug grin stretched across his lips once more. He glanced back at King Diallo and his smirk stretched wider on his short muzzle. "I have some very important news and information to share with you about our once dear friends - the lions."

Josh inched to the edge of the stone upon which he was seated. He was at just the right angle to glimpse the big panda pulling something out from under his robes. Here it was - the moment of truth.

"I have discovered the very sick truth that those who we once called friend have slaves for even more disgusting reasons than we thought," he declared. Whatever was in his paw, he tossed it out in front of the stage. It looked like sheets of paper at first, but then Josh realized exactly what they were. They were photographs. And it wasn't hard to imagine what they were pictures of.

The press closest to the stage rushed forward to grab whatever ones they could. It was a mad rush. Josh sunk in his seat and tried to hide his face. No doubt, he was in every single one of those photographs.

Khari stormed up to his feet, ready to roar at the panda, but his father stopped him with a single paw around his wrist. The king's face was emotionless as he shook his head and whispered for his son to sit back down. Like always, the old lion was still confident.

"It's true!" one of the press members exclaimed, holding the large picture high enough for the whole crowd to see.

It was clear enough for Josh to recognize himself stroking his master's cock. He kept his head low and covered with a hand. The live television feed was doubtlessly zooming in on the picture and blurring out the more inappropriate sections. Never before did he imagine that he'd have the faintest chance of becoming sex-tape-famous. He hoped to god that this wasn't Bo's doing.

"They use the human's as sex slaves!?" another of the press in the back asked.

The emperor was glaring at King Diallo and Khari with evil glee. He turned to speak into the large microphone to respond. "Yes," he said. "Their depravity knows no bounds!"

Josh's heart sunk. None of it was true, and it felt like there was nothing any of them could do. Khari was trembling with intense anger. He looked like he wanted to rip the panda emperor apart, limb by limb. King Diallo still held his son back, and Josh had no idea why.

"That's a lie!" a deep and smooth voice called out over the crowd. His voice carried throughout the garden so everyone could hear him. Josh perked up to see who had the balls big enough to stand up to the emperor. It was Bo! And Nuru and Matt were by his side.

"It's the prince!" everyone started to murmur.

"You're the one who's depraved, father. You locked me in my room, hoping to keep me away from the press. If it hadn't been for this liger and human, who knows when you would have let me out," Bo explained on as he stepped up to the stage. "So why don't you inform them about what your son had been doing last night?" The panda prince has his own collection of photographs in his paw. He did the same thing his father did, tossing them over the stage to the press. "That human is not a slave. I would know because I spent a wonderful night with him last night. And, yes, it got very intimate. But it was something we all wanted. We all consented to it."

Josh gulped but he also beamed. He was so proud of Bo for having the courage to do such a thing.

"It's true!" the same reporter repeated. It was getting old that he'd believe anything that was shoved down his throat by the royal family. At least, in this case, it was true. "Prince Bo, Prince Khari, and the human had sex!"

Well, if that wasn't the worst sex scandal ever. And usually it wasn't given willingly like that. But the press was absolutely eating it up.

"B-b-but how do we know that YOU didn't just force him to suck your tiny cock, you good-for-nothing brat!" the emperor exclaimed and immediately slapped one of his huge paws up to his mouth. Everyone gasped at the same time.

The mask was finally off.

Bo shook his head at his father. "You never loved me, dad. And that only got worse when you found out that I was gay and that I liked humans," he sniffed, sobbing in front of everyone. He turned to his mother to speak to her. She was sitting still with her arms crossed, cold as ever. "And you, mother... you just stood back and watched. You never stopped him or told him he was wrong. I don't know where I even got the courage to do this today, because it obviously doesn't run in our family. Maybe it's because I once had a great friend and someone I consider more of a father than you." He turned to smile at King Diallo and then faced the crowd. "These lions have done more for me in a few days than my parents have ever done for me in my lifetime."

Everyone was hushed. No one knew how to respond to the prince's very public coming out. And in so many ways.

The emperor was steaming. "You disgraceful and disrespectful bastard! Don't you dare step back into our home again!"

"I was hoping you'd say that..." Bo replied. He twisted around to look at Matt and nodded. "It's about time I start my own life without your influence."

"Everyone is going to hate you now!" Emperor Oto was stomping and pointing at Bo with a fat finger. "Your dishonor will follow you everywhere."

"Maybe with your generation, father. But I think everyone else will be behind me with this one. Our country is capable of progress that you can't even imagine. And it's sad to say that you will never be a part of it. You'll just go down in history as another fat and privileged bigot. The humans are wonderful people, and we'll be seeing more and more of them moving here regardless of your backward beliefs."

"I'm done with this! I can't look at you anymore!" The emperor stormed off of the stage with his wife following close behind him. "If you try and return to the palace, the guards will immediately escort you off of the premises. And after the third time, you will be treated as a trespasser."

The security staff broke off into two groups. Josh assumed some of them were defecting with Bo, because a number of them stayed behind to keep the swarming press away from the stage. The rest escorted the emperor and his wife out of the garden to return to the safety of their palace.

Josh rushed over to the stage, but a large panda in a black suit stopped him from crossing. He still tried to hide his face from the press, though.

Bo walked over to the podium and took the microphone into his paw. "I'm sure you all... understand what I've... just gone through." Tears were still dripping down his face as he stumbled a bit over his words. "I'm cancelling this press conference. I would like some time alone with my friends." Josh was trying to catch his attention, waving his hands. Bo noticed him and smiled. The bear pointed at him. "It's okay, Tai, you can let him through."

The big panda stepped aside and Josh jumped up to the stage. He strolled over to Bo with a concerned look as some of the press expressed their very loud complaints about the conference ending. Bo's heavy eyebrows shot up as he remembered something. "Oh, and Jana?"

"Yes, my prince?" she raised her paw in the middle of the thick crowd that was just starting to disperse.

"You're my absolute favorite, so I'll be giving you the exclusive when I'm ready. Okay?"

"You bet, Bo!" she winked and started screaming at the other press to vacate the premises.

Josh put a hand on the top of the panda's belly. He looked up to the big bear with a beaming grin. "That took a lot of guts," he said. His arms slipped along the panda's sides as he pulled Bo into a hug. "Thank you."

Bo closed his eyes and embraced the human. His large paw ran all over Josh's back. "You're a wonderful person, Josh. Khari is very lucky to have you." Both of them were crying. Bo's robes were soaking up Josh's tears. "I never would have had the courage to do this if it wasn't for you and him."

"Well, Bo," King Diallo interrupted their embrace, "It looks like you've got a whole new world and a whole new life to discover."

Khari cleared his throat and nodded his head for Josh to return to his side. Josh chuckled and ran over to his master, hugging him tightly, snuggling up against his belly. He didn't care if it was in front of the press. It wasn't anything worse than what they'd already seen.

"Thank you, my lord," Bo answered the king. "I really meant what I said. You've been more of a father figure to me than my own father."

Matt and Nuru had also joined them up on the stage, putting a hand on Bo's shoulder. "You'll always have us if you ever need help, Bo. Do you think you're ready for this?" Matt asked.

"Honestly? No," the panda replied. "But it'll be better than the life I was living. And, hey... maybe I'll find my own human to spend the rest of my life with."

They all laughed along with Bo. It was good to see he still had his sense of humor, and it was much more authentic than when they first met.

"We all wish the best for you..." Khari added, "...my friend."

The camera shutters were all clicking away as they pulled the big bear into a group hug. The press was going to have a delightful photo to smack on the front of the newspaper next morning.

Josh got lost the embrace, though. It was such a wonderful feeling having so many warm, fuzzy bodies around him. But an odd feeling was shortly added to the mixture. Something was vibrating against his shoulder.

King Diallo pulled away and drew a phone from one of his pockets. He answered the call and started to walk away. Khari passed him a concerned look, and that got Josh worried.

"What?" the king asked. "How did that happen? Does it seem like a deliberate thing? Any signs of struggle? Okay... yes... we'll be back as soon as possible." He ended the call and turned to face his son, his furry brow low over his golden eyes.

"What is it, dad?"

"It's Keyon..." the king answered, "...he's gone. They have no idea where he is."

"Who's Keyon?" Josh had to ask.

Khari turned to him with a worried look. "He's Runi's son."