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Achidias' Arbitration

Achidias breathed deeply of the salty air as he stepped out of the kheymah. It had gotten stuffy inside the tent as the argument raged, and it had taken far too long for him to settle everyone down long enough to push through a solution that would - hopefully - keep this encampment from degenerating into internal warfare.

To his left, the Great Bay extended nearly to the horizon, resplendent in the summer sunlight. Numerous white sails could be seen dotting it - be they small fishing-boats hailing from one of the many small villages lining the bay's shores, or large trading-vessels heading to or fro the main ports, such as Mosvaruch or the Capital itself. He knew, however, that none of those sails belonged to the Migration-Fleet - seeing as that was currently on its way to Twinharbor on the Southern Continent with yet another load of eager Centaur immigrants.

Realistically, that was probably the REAL reason for the tension in this camp. Everyone here were waiting their turn at the ships, and they'd had a fine view of the fleet as it sailed south without them aboard. That kind of thing could make a Centaur ornery, and liable to look for any excuse to start a scrap. And as long as it resulted in nothing more than a few dust-ups, kicks and punches leaving both parties with black eyes, abrasions, or at most a couple of broken bones that the resident Shaman - or, failing that, the more capable human Healers - could easily set straight, it wasn't really a major concern.

This particular fight had... escalated, though. Into attempted murder, to be specific. Apparently, some of the residents of this encampment had once been from rival tribes, and there was still some bad blood floating around. It was not at all clear if the colt had been right in accusing the older stallion of having slain his father in an inter-tribal skirmish years ago, when he'd been little more than a foal - but it also didn't matter. The days of tribal wars and raids on human lands had ended. The world had moved on, and the Centaurs needed to move with it - leaving old conflicts behind.

Tiredly, Achidias walked through the quiet encampment. He felt quite a few eyes on him - be they resentful or grateful. No doubt, everyone knew why he'd come - after all, the Migration was flowing quite smoothly these days, so arbitrating these kinds of stupid conflicts was the only thing he really _needed_to do. And soon, there wouldn't even be that. Those that remained in the camp were the last stragglers. Even the tribes that had initially refused to join the migration or accept the Beastmaker's gift were falling in line - often by way of some fairly sudden and bloody changed in leadership.

There were probably only a few thousand Centaurs left on the continent - less than ten, certainly. Some of those had chosen to abandon their culture altogether and integrated into human society - the more peaceful ones, who saw no particular appeal in traveling all the way to another continent just to pick a fight with a bunch of fierce monsters in order to carve out a new kingdom there. They were working, now, alongside human comrades, and getting their needs sated by way of frequent visits to the Churches. Some few had even discarded their pride altogether and become little more than pets to noblewomen or the like - concubines, living lives of ease and comfort in return for their sexual services.

The rest were here, or in the neighboring encampments - waiting their turn. They wouldn't have to wait all that long, either. If all went well, the camps would be emptied before the winter storms closed the Great Current again - though, more realistically, the last shipment would have to wait 'til the following spring. Either way, that would be it. The Centaurs would have effectively abandoned the continent wholesale, and his father - King Parekemnon - would forge them into a great and prosperous nation... while his own position became even more meaningless than it already was.

He sighed under his breath, pausing to admire the view of the bay for a bit longer. Who was he to think ill of some for 'discarding their pride' and becoming mere concubines for noblewomen eager to emulate their Empress? Sure he was a 'Consort', and held significant official power, but that was all just bureaucracy. His purpose, supposedly, was to deal with the Centaurs, and assist Sayn in any matters pertaining to them... but as they disappeared from the continent, his position rapidly became vestigial. And where did that leave him? Paying for his dinner with his sexual skills, satisfying the females of the Seraglio... just like those other Centaurs he was belittling.

Well, it wasn't as if he'd ever been suited for anything else anyway, he thought glumly. He wasn't some kind of brilliant sage, nor a master of strategy, nor a smooth political operator. Watching how his peers handled things had left him in little doubt about that. The newcomers, in particular! That Flower-Dragon, Orichaniel, had half the palace dancing to his tune. The Sirrush, Slira, was absorbing everything about the political and cultural systems of the continent at a breakneck pace - whatever edge he might have had over her when she'd freshly arrived from her barbaric tribe in the southern jungles had already vanished like fog in the noonday light. And Rubicundus was, well, a dragon.

Perhaps he should be grateful that his duties had so swiftly vanished into nonexistence - after all, if he had nothing to do, he also wasn't going to cock anything up, he thought sardonically as he picked himself up and forced his hooves back into motion. He had to get back to the Palace and let Cybra know that the issue had been dealt with. As he started forwards, however, he nearly collided with a rather short mare, and quickly took a half-step backwards, bobbing his head. "Ah, my apologies - I did not see you."

The glare she shot him was heated - and somehow seemed to be about more than just his brief invasion of her personal space. "That's hardly what you should be apologizing for, Consort!" She said roughly, crossing her arms and redoubling her glare. Blinking, he took another half-step back, just from the sheer intensity of her presence. "I'm... sorry?" He attempted. "Have I offended you in some other fashion? I cannot say I recall meeting you before..." And he was pretty sure he'd remember her. She was rather pretty, with long, dark-auburn hair, a generous chest for her age, and a rather fetching dappled coat. And she certainly had a marvelous glare, though it failed to entirely draw the eye away from her adorable little snub nose.

She shrugged. "Well, it's true we haven't met before... but that didn't stop you and your mistress from pulling the rug out from under me! Altering the whole of our society, tearing away the future I'd been raised to expect... things like that." Trying to both absorb her ire and figure out what it was actually about he scratched his head, brow wrinkling. "Ummm... I'm not sure what you're going on about... well, I suppose the Beastmaker has altered Centaur society greatly, and I may have helped in some small way... but it's been entirely for the better, right? At least, most tribes have agreed that this is the case - and if you're here, yours is presumably among them."

With his initial surprise fading, his brain was starting to kick itself into gear, trying to make sense of this irrationally-angry mare - who, it seemed, wasn't terribly convinced by his argument, and now snorted dismissively. Of course, while virtually all of the 'tribes' had agreed to follow the Beastmaker, that didn't necessarily mean that all of the _individuals_within those tribes were in agreement. Especially among those who had joined only recently, many remained who still resented the way they'd been pushed away from their traditional worship of Thenares, and the warlike lifestyle of raiding and pillaging this had brought with it. Only the promise of fighting the great and terrible monsters that roamed the plains of the Southern Continent, earning honor and glory that they might quietly and under their breath dedicate to their long-lost god, compelled them to join the migration.

There were few mares among those who harbored such feelings, however, and this one indeed seemed to have a different reasoning for her dissatisfaction. "When I was a foal, I watched the older mares pick and choose between their countless suitors. The greatest warriors and hunters, even the chief himself, was at their hooves, begging for their attention! Indeed, my older sister became the chief's wife... before the recent 'change of leadership', pah! I had thought to one day be in the same situation, to be able to choose only the finest of stallions for my own mate... but no such luck!"

Achidias rubbed his chin, lips pursed. This was not a perspective he had heard before, but on reflection, it did make sense. Before, the sheer rarity of mares had enabled them to be extremely choosy, granting their favor to only the most successful and powerful stallions. That, indeed, had been part of the reason why Thenares had created them with such a lopsided birth-rate - to ensure that only the strongest warriors had a chance to breed, making each new generation of foals stronger than the rest. It... hadn't worked, or perhaps it had but that kind of 'strength' just didn't really matter in the modern world? That kind of speculations were entirely beyond Achidias, but he could see how the numerous young fillies that had been born since the Beastmaker corrected Thenares' foolish mistake might be seen as a threat by those used to wielding power through exclusivity. When there was a mare for every stallion, they couldn't just wait for the suitors to beat a path to their door anymore - why, they might even have to settle for a mate who was less than absolutely spectacular!

Still... "I suppose I can see how the influx of new fillies might... displease you, but most of them are still mere foals. It'll be a few years still before the first generation born of the Beastmaker's changes reach maturity. So long as you don't dawdle, you should still be able to land yourself a magnificent mate..." Well, assuming this kind of waspish attitude wasn't a constant thing for her, anyway, he silently added - that might, indeed, deter all but the most desperate. Then again, she_was_ awfully pretty, which could compensate for a lot - even the way she grimaced at his reply just made her cute little nose twitch adorably. "You really don't get it..." she answered, sighing and shaking her head, sending her raven hair dancing.

"You're not wrong about the new fillies - though I could counter that this merely means that my future daughters will be the one who will suffer for these changes, rather than I. But my issue is far more immediate! Right now, right here, I have a truly unenviable array of options, and this is my first summer as a grown mare!" Hesitantly, Achidias nodded, trying not to let his eyes stray low. She was that_young? Only just joined the ranks of the adult, entering her first summer of fertile heat... he'd assumed she was just a bit short. If that was really true, she was _amazingly well-stacked for her age - those nice, big, plumb, shapely breasts looked like they belonged on a mare several years her senior.

Apparently unaware of his current focus, she was continuing her rant in a steady cadence. "Have you seen the menfolk around here, huh? Well, of course you have, since you keep having to come here to sort out their idiotic troublemaking. All the proper stallions have already crossed to the Southern Continent - and only three kinds remain: Young colts with no experience and even less wit, old stallions with gray in their tails who are so hidebound, they're probably still sore about us adopting fire... and the ones who are in no hurry whatsoever." The last group seemed to give her particular offense as she counted them off on her fingers, resulting in yet another adorable nose-wrinkle.

Waving that third finger in his face, she glared at him again. "And not only are you and your mistress responsible for stranding me here with such slim pickings, far from the rows of eager suitors I'd been expecting, but that last_group falls squarely at _your hooves! Some of them might have been decent prospects, you know - except that they're too busy emulating you to care about boring old mares! They spend more time in the city than in the camp, going to 'church' every day... finding lovers, both casual and not, among the humans! Can you believe it?! There's a beautiful mare in heat, right here in the camp, but they're too busy mounting two-legs to care! At least in the old days, they'd discard those amusements during the fertile months..."

Achidias winced at this reminder of how his people - including members of his own tribe, his own family - had previously sought outlet for their urges in unwilling human women. It was fortunate indeed that he had never had the chance to participate in such activities - indeed, considering Sayn's rather strong opinions on such subjects, he rather suspected that this fact alone was one of the main qualifications that had made her offer him the position of Consort. Honestly, 'Not a rapist' didn't feel like much of a distinction to pride himself on, for all that it was a rather rare one among male Centaurs senior to him.

That aside, he couldn't really deny her assessment. Those who remained in the migration-camps were largely from tribes who had been slow to join - first come, first serve was one of those eternal rules that Centaurs recognized as easily as humans did. And most of those tribes had joined only because they'd realized that they were hemorrhaging members, particularly stallions, at a dangerous rate - lured away by the twin promises of glory and abundant mares on the Southern Continent, and willing, even eager human women right here and now. Hence, those who had actually still been in those tribes by the time they marched sullenly into the migration-camps had either been too traditionalistic to be lured by those promises, or too young to have yet fully felt the desperate, overwhelming need that came with true maturity.

He still remembered how it had been, himself... not truly understanding why his dick kept emerging from its sheath when he didn't need to pee, or why it was so damned_hard_ and felt so strange... but still feeling an overwhelming urge to do something with it. He remembered how the scent of the tribe's mares had become suddenly irresistible in the months of late spring and early summer, and quickly learning that none of them were interested in a fresh-faced colt - not even one of the chieftain's sons. He remembered the jocular older stallions explaining things in frank, if somewhat teasing, terms, peppering their lessons with anecdotes from their various conquest - both mares and human women captured during past raids.

He remembered Cykleseus... a colt the same age as him, vibrant and adventurous, his frequent hunting-partner as well as long-time partner-in-crime when it came to unleashing various kind of adolescent mischief on the camp. Remembered the scent of crushed grass as the two of them 'experimented' despite the warnings of their elders. Cykleseus' cock stretching his youthful anus painfully... and the feeling of the other colt's ass wrapped tight and hot around his own cock. Who had even gone first? He couldn't recall that - only the frustration they'd both felt as pleasure rose, only to then ebb away again before reaching the promised peak.

Quickly, he shook off the memories. The point was that what the Beastmaker offered was overwhelmingly compelling for most stallion - but for the mares, it meant that they would soon no longer be a rare and precious commodity. Right now, for this particular mare, that meant a rather poor selection of stallions to choose from - assuming one could even refer to that third group she'd mentioned as a viable choice. They were the ones who'd stayed behind, ceding their place in the migration-fleet's many broad-hulled transports to other, more eager stallions - not out of some great generosity, but because they remained on the fence about whether or not they even wanted to go. Many of them would, in the end, likely choose to remain here, integrating fully into human society, taking lovers from among the ranks of the two-legged species. A young mare, however stacked, had little to offer them - especially if what she desired was a true mating. If they made her with foal, they would be obligated to follow her to the Southern Continent, after all.

Aaaand apparently it was all HIS fault, somehow. At least, that was what this mare's angry glare was loudly proclaiming. He threw a quick glance around - they'd already drawn a small crowd of onlookers, drawn mostly by her rather loud voice. Curious to see how he'd handle this irrational complaint, perhaps, or just looking for a bit of diverting entertainment. Sighing, he shifted his eyes back to her, careful to keep them on her face, and nodded. "Very well. You clearly have a complaint, and as the Centaur Consort to the Beastmaker, seeing to such things is my duty. However, if you don't mind, perhaps we can discuss your issues in a slightly less public setting?"

Looking around, she seemingly noticed the audience for the first time, and blushed. The coloration of her cheeks seemed to soften her coldly-angry expression, making it even clearer that she had a thoroughly cute face to go with her thoroughly erotic chest, and for a moment, he felt a throbbing in both his chest and his loins. Then she grimaced angrily and threw her head to the side, auburn hair fanning in the air. "I suppose. Follow me, oh noble and honorable Consort..." Ignoring this jibe, he placidly nodded and trotted after her as she headed deeper into the camp.

A little while later, he hesitantly stepped into a small but well-appointed tent. The decor, furniture and carpeting all had decidedly feminine touches, from the patterns to the coloration, and he belatedly realized that this was the first time he'd ever visited a mare's kheymah. Though, that was hardly surprising. The tent's owner, currently standing in the middle of it, blushed again. "Stop staring like that. It's not like I invited you into my kheymah because I like you or anything! We just needed a... private place to talk, right?" Achidias quickly nodded in acknowledgment. Indeed, being invited into a mare's kheymah normally held certain... implications, especially at this time of year, but he certainly wasn't about to misunderstand the gesture in this case.

"I fully understand. So, by all means, explain your complaint to me in full... oh, and I do not believe you introduced yourself when we first met? I am Achidias, son of Parakemnos, Consort to the Beastmaker - as you know..." Indeed, a rather unnecessary introduction, but such were the demands of politeness. The mare blushed anew - presumably at the realization that she had failed to properly introduce herself when she first confronted him. "I am Shanera, daughter of Odarius, who was chief of the Stormrider Tribe - albeit briefly." Achidias' eyes widened slightly as he heard those familiar names, and mentally reassessed the situation. Perhaps, rather than just being patient with an irrationally-angry mare, he'd have to try and... mollify her somehow.

The Stormrider Tribe had been one of the most warlike among the already-warlike Centaurs - gaining their name from their favored strategy when it came to assaulting well-defended human settlements. They'd wait patiently for one of the not-infrequent thunderstorms to sweep from the Great Plains to the borderlands, and then strike under the cover of the gale-force winds, driving rain and blinding thunderbolts. Their ability to fight under conditions that left most others - particularly the smaller, weaker humans - staggered was legendary. Thanks to this strategy, they'd been better than most at launching successful raids. Between that and their general aggressiveness, they'd unsurprisingly been reluctant to join with Sayn's empire and embrace its philosophy of love and peace.

There had been several tribes like that... but little now remained of them. In the end, all of the Stormriders' vaunted skill, strength and sheer toughness had meant less than nothing. Their fearsome, storm-backed assaults had been crushed again and again as the settlements they attacked proved to be defended not by fragile humans, but by tireless beasts wrought from wood and stone, entirely unaffected by wind and rain alike. Many of their greatest warriors had fallen - and the survivors were left without outlet for their desires. Desertions followed, as inevitable as the tide - and in the end, the tribe's respected Chief Hunter, Odarius, had risen in rebellion, slain the stubborn chieftain, and seized control of the tribe... only to immediately sue for membership in Parakemnos' Centaur Nation, dissolving what little remained of his once-famous tribe into it.

So, this mare's father had been the one who had to take that unenviable, but sorely-needed step - which seemed all the more impressive with the revelation that the chief he deposed and executed had been mated to one of his own daughters! Still, it would be easy to then shrug him off as no longer important, his daughter no different from every other mare in the encampments, no more worthy of consideration. But Achidias knew better. Tribalism was ingrained in the Centaurs - they had lived that way for millenia, after all - while kingdom-building remained a rather new and tenuous proposition to them. He was well aware that within his father's 'kingdom', there existed numerous factions that had naturally coalesced alongside tribal lines. Already, Stormriders who had previously deserted their tribe to join the migration and harvest the bounty thereof would be forming back up under Odarius, for all that he had no official title of power. Whether this group - which would enjoy near-universal respect thanks to the martial reputation of the Stormriders - would prove to be an ally to his father, or instead to those who opposed his policies, would likely depend heavily on the impression he formed of Sayn's Empire during his stay in the migration-camps. And if his only daughter complained to him as loudly and vociferously as she'd complained to Achidias... well, that might color said impression.

While he had been pondering all that, Shanera had eloquently restated her original complaint - she'd been raised to expect that her first summer as an adult would be an opportunity to pick the choicest stallion from the tribe, the very best among the hunters and warriors, instead of scraping the bottom of the barrel for the dregs. To make matters worse, most of those who had made up her own, original tribe had already left on the latest fleet - with herself, her father and two of her brothers remaining behind to keep an eye on the last stragglers. "Frankly, _they_are the only decent stallions left in this gods-forsaken camp!" She declared dramatically, throwing up her hands in disgust.

Nodding seriously, Achidias did his best to sound grave. "I see... it certainly does sound like the reversal of the Centaur's fortune in general has impacted you, personally, in a rather negative fashion. However, I am not certain what you hope I can do about it - I can hardly turn around the migration-fleet just for your sake, after all, and even if I could arrange an immediate ship for you and your family... well..." She winced, nodding. If she'd just recently entered her first heat, she'd have maybe three weeks, four at most, to find a suitable stallion before it ended. Crossing the Great Current in that time-frame wasn't impossible... assuming you used one of the lightweight messenger-cutters, rather than the heavier transport-ships generally involved in the migration-effort. Maybe he actually could..? No, arranging something like that would take time too - ships did not simply materialize in the harbor, crewed, supplied, and ready to set out at the drop of a hat. At best, she might see the shores of the Southern Continent peek above the horizon just as the last of the heat faded from her loins.

Seemingly undeterred, however, Shanera just shook her head angrily. "Well, you're the Consort, aren't you? Solving problems like this is your job. Just... find a solution!" There was an edge of urgency to her voice, and Achidias further wrinkled his brow as he wracked his brain. She seemed very... determined. Why, though? Failing to find a suitable mate during her first summer as an adult certainly did seem a bit sad, but she'd have many others to come - and during at least the first handful, she'd still have her pick amongst the extensive, male population of the steadily-growing Centaur Capital of Parapolis. "Well, I will certainly try my best..." he said hesitantly, even as his whirring mind failed to come up with any kind of miraculous solutions. Maybe he'd have to ask Cybra or Orichaniel - they were so smart, they'd probably be able to come up with something. Or even... no, no he couldn't do that! He ESPECIALLY couldn't bother Sayn with something this mundane, for all that she'd likely be able to resolve the situation with a casual wave of her hand. Even asking the assistance of his fellow Consorts was out of the question in this case - no other species were involved, after all. This was purely a Centaur-problem, and as she had so correctly stated, solving things like that was his job. If he couldn't even manage to mollify one irate mare, he might as well turn in his title and settle down as a simple Concubine alongside Silas...

An astounded giggle from somewhere behind him interrupted his train of thought, and as he looked over his shoulder, he saw two mares enter the tent behind him, unannounced and unbidden. They were both young and pretty - seemingly roughly the same age as Shanera - so presumably they were close friends of hers... otherwise, stepping in like that would've been a serious faux pas. The frontmost of the two had long, raven-black hair, currently kept in an impressive ponytail starting from the top of her head. A wide smile was on her lips, and her eyes held a strangely lazy, seductive slant that he recognized from several of the ladies in Sayn's harem. Her chest wasn't as generous as Shanera's, but her breasts were shapely and looked pleasingly soft and subtle... especially based on the way one of them was currently flattened by her raised arm as she half-covered her mouth with her hand, still giggling.

This new arrival was a good half-head taller than Shanera, nearly at his own height - but the mare that entered closely behind her was noticeably shorter, by a good head or so. Her short-cropped hair and tail were both pale-brown, or perhaps dark-blond, depending on the lighting, and her chest was quite petite. Indeed, had his flaring nostrils not informed him that there was now three mares emitting the unmistakable smell of heat into the enclosed space of the tent, he would not have suspected that she was an adult. Her face was pretty, if a bit childish - but also expressionless, like a stone mask of seriousness. Perhaps an attempt to compensate for her slight build and youthful looks by deliberately looking serious and mature? Either way, she wasn't giggling like her friend - nor did she say anything. Her eyes just darted expressionlessly around the room, lingering on Achidias himself as well as Shanera. Or was there perhaps a slight tinge of disapproval in her stone-faced mask?

"Akena! Koneite! What are you_doing_ here!?" Shanera complained, sounding exasperated - the direction of her eyes as she pronounced each name suggesting that the tall, black-haired mare was Akena, while the short, blond, expressionless one was Koneite. Akena - who seemed to be the most mature of the bunch, if not actually any older, finally stopped giggling. "We just wanted to see if you were really_going through with it... luring the Empress' own Consort into your tent, I mean. I know you've _talked about it a lot, but to actually pull it off... I'm kind of impressed, really!" The until-then silent Koneite finally spoke up at that point, glaring at the gaping Shanera. "Deceptive woman." she commented firmly, before clamming back up again.

"You two..." Shanera hissed, finally picking her jaw off the floor, one of her eyebrows twitching dangerously. "I'm just lodging a complaint with the Consort as is my right... and you two can just get out of my tent before you ruin everything! The last part came out as a vicious hiss while she tried to stare holes in her two friends - only to then recoil, wincing, as she realized she'd said it out loud. Akena giggled again. "Oh, Shanera, you're really terrible at being honest... particularly with yourself." She shook her head with mock sadness, sending her raven-black ponytail swaying enticingly.

Sighing, Achidias rubbed his temples, and glanced over at Akena - who had, at the very least, proven herself to be chatty. "Would somebody_please tell me what's really going on here?" he asked, lodging a complaint of his own. Based on the way Akena had talked about Shanera 'luring' him here, and Koneite's outburst about her being 'deceptive', it seemed increasingly clear that there was more to this than Shanera had originally claimed, certainly. Perhaps he should be worried that this was all some kind of deadly ambush - an assassination-attempt? There were certainly enough Centaurs who resented him for his part in ending their old social system, and though such underhand methods were rather alien to his hot-headed kin, it wasn't _unthinkable that they should be willing to take a page from the humans' history of backstabbing at this point. Still, he didn't feel particularly threatened by the three young women currently clustered into the small tent with him - nor was there any real sense of danger. On the other hand, perhaps some - or even a lot- of that was down to his instincts rising and licking their chops as he took in their fertile scents.

Fortunately, before he could get too_caught up in paranoid speculation and second-guessing his gut-feel, Akena readily answered his question even as Shanera waved her hands desperately in her direction, sputtering something incomprehensible. "Hmmm? Well, this girl here, you see... she's just _desperate_to have you take her virginity, is all." Wide-eyed, he let his gaze fall on Shanera again, and saw that her entire face had gone beet-red. Opening and closing his mouth, he tried to consider that message logically and... well, it DID somewhat make sense, didn't it? What Akena was suggesting was, after all, a potential solution to the problem that Shanera had stated for him... maybe she'd been hoping that he'd just immediately sweep her off her hooves saying something like "Oh, if you just need a proper stallion to show you the pleasures of being a mare, _I shall do so myself! Though perhaps the sexual skills that regularly drown an Empress in pleasure will be too much for such a young filly to handle..."

...where the heck had that_come from, he pondered as he quickly pushed that rose-tinted image from his mind. Really, it all seemed rather simple, when he thought about it properly. Shanera had not, after all, been lying about the unimpressive prospects she otherwise had before her - and being the son of a chieftain himself, he could hardly claim that he wasn't a suitable match for _another chieftain's daughter. Of course, it was probably the perceived power and authority he wielded as a Consort that had caused this young mare to focus her affections on him - certainly, he'd learned by now that women of every_species were inherently attracted to power, or even just the_perception of power. The fact that his title was growing more meaningless by the day likely didn't enter into her calculations - indeed, young and inexperienced as she was, her perspective was likely too limited to see it in the first place.

With a tired sigh, he ran a hand over his face. It seemed like it always came down to his sexual skills in the end, didn't it? Like all that mattered was his cock, with the rest of him merely being a convenient transportation-system for it. Bah. Well, in this case there was a bit more to it than that, but that was - in itself - the main problem. Fixing the blushing Shanera - who had backed up to the point where her hindquarters were deforming the back of the tent - with a penetrating gaze, he nodded. "If that is all it will take to resolve this, I am... agreeable. Though, to be clear, I cannot offer you a foal. You are bound for the Southern Continent, and I have obligations here - I trust you understand."

She didn't exactly stop blushing, but the consternation that had been writ across her face since her 'plot' had been so carelessly revealed faded somewhat, and she now stepped hesitantly forwards with a hopeful expression. "You... really mean it?" She asked, and he nodded. "Lucky." the mostly-silent Koneite commented, puffing out her cheeks a bit before returning to her previous expressionlessness. Akena, meanwhile, giggled again. "There, see? Being honest is much faster... even though it doesn't sound like you'll get to carry his foal as you'd hoped, hmm? Well, I suppose you'll just have to finish him off with those ludicrously big tits of yours..." While she talked, the tall, black-haired mare had moved smoothly from Achidias' side to Shanera's, and now she sidled right up against her flanks so that she could reach under the slightly-shorter mare's flailing arms to heft and squeeze the aforementioned assets.

Shanera soon managed to bat away her friend with an angry yelp, but not before Achidias had found himself swallowing at the sight of the twin orbs, bouncing and deforming between the other mare's fingers. If there was one thing that was in somewhat of a shortage in the Seraglio... it was big tits. Thielwen practically needed a corset in order to turn her vague mounds into anything that could even remotely deserve the term, and Lutra wasn't much better off - she did have some nice curves on her, but her fur smoothed them out and hid them in many ways. The mermaid, Aishee, had a TREMENDOUS pair on her, of course... but he'd never really had a chance to do anything with them. Half the time, the voyeuristic mermaid preferred watching rather than getting directly involved, and the other half she was busy sharing sweet, underwater pleasures with the other girls - primarily Sayn and Lutra. On the rare occasion that she approached the menfolk of the harem at all, it was invariably because she just felt like getting one of her holes thoroughly reamed - so the closest he ever got to those tremendous mounds of delightful jigglyness was when he felt them rub against his equine underside. As for Sayn herself, well, she had a perfectly respectable pair, for a human, but the issue with Aishee applied to her twice-over - if she called on him, it was to get one or more orifices filled, not to let him play with her breasts.

"That would be... perfectly acceptable." he declared out loud, careful to keep his voice even and not let his excitement show. Not that he didn't feel perfectly justified in being excited, mind - it just seemed like these young mares had an image of him that maybe wasn't particularly accurate, but which he nonetheless felt the need to try and live up to. Internally, though... nevermind the opportunity to maybe slide his cock in between a soft pair of titties for the first time, she was asking him to take her virginity - which would be another first, since all the women in the Seraglio had arrived there already experienced, some more than others. To be fair, he'd probably been the first to properly penetrate Thielwen's tight, elven snatch in centuries, if not millenia, so maybe that _should_count too...

But all that aside, there was another, even more obvious 'first' being dangled before him, one that was making his tool harden and emerge from his sheath despite his best attempts to continue acting dispassionate - also, unsurprisingly, unconcerned with his philosophical complaints about seemingly being nothing more than a glorified conveyance for it. A_mare_. He'd get to mount a mare for the first time! And at the height of her heat, even! This was the prize he'd once so desperately longed for... and for all that he'd enjoyed countless other pleasures since those early days, things he'd never even_imagined_ when he was naught but an inexperienced colt, his instincts continued to cry out for this. This was his purpose, they shouted - to mount and inseminate a fertile mare! Well, he could obey them halfway, at least...

Meanwhile, Shanera hesitated - still embarrassed, clearly, and also perhaps a bit uncertain now that the thing she'd apparently striven for in secret was within her reach. As she nervously shifted her hooves, Akena - whom she had managed to successfully dislodge from her chest - trotted up closer to Achidias, practically rubbing herself against him, smiling seductively. "That easy, hmmm? In that case... maybe you could take care of me and Koneite too? We're basically in the same boat, so to speak, as her. Of course, we don't have the same kind of ludicrous cleavage as Shanera, but there are... other ways." Mind racing at this blatant offer, he glanced over at the silent Koneite to see if she was truly on board with the way her chattier friend seemed to be offering her up. The fillie frowned underneath her boyish haircut and nodded sharply. "Don't want the Scepter to be my first..." she said, with unusual verbosity, before biting her lip and falling silent again.

And now, at last, things started to make a bit more sense to Achidias - including the reason why these fillies were still here, instead of having gone out with the last shipload of Centaurs. Sayn had solved the Centaur's birth-rate problem, to be sure, but it hadn't just been by snapping her fingers. The 'cure' had to be applied individually to every mare, and though it would carry on through their offspring, there remained many young fillies and barely-adult mares who had been born well before it became available. They had to be treated when they came of age - and since the Parapolis Palace still lacked a suitably secure vault to store it in, the Scepter of Fertility remained here. In other words, these young mares would need to be treated before they set out for the Southern Continent - and that meant being penetrated by a full-sized electrum simulacra of a stallion's tool. However important the Scepter was to the survival of the Centaurs as a whole, it was quite understandable that a young mare would wish the breaking of her cherry to be somewhat more meaningful than that... presumably, these girls had been pushed back to the next shipment so that they'd be able to experience their first heat, and seek to lose their virginity in a passionate embrace instead of to a rod of cold, unyielding metal, be it ever so magically potent.

All of which distracted him for a few moments as his mind parsed it - but then, it circled back to the source, and he lifted a skeptical eyebrow. "I mean no offense, Akena, but... are you truly a virgin? You do not act much like one, if I am to be honest. If anything, you rather more remind me of some of my... peers." Far from taking offense, however, the black-haired mare laughed delightedly. "You compare me to the female Consorts? I am honored! To answer your question, however... my virginity certainly remains intact. Well... one of them does, anyway." She swayed her tail coquettishly, leaving little doubt as to her meaning. Shanera, who'd been approaching unsteadily, froze in her tracks again and covered her mouth with a hand - expression scandalized. "Akena! You didn't!"

The more mature-looking (and sounding) mare giggled again and shrugged, sending her breasts - smaller, perhaps, than Shanera's impressive pair, but still very_nice - swaying pleasingly. "Of course I did. You were talking about doing it yourself if this little plan of yours didn't work out, after all... and I needed to make sure it'd be safe for my _best_friend!" Achidias raised an inquisitive eyebrow while Shanera once again blushed furiously - at this rate, she'd bruise her cheeks, he thought blandly. Not that he really minded - it reminded him of when Thielwen had first started entering the Seraglio's sexy games, driven by fierce desire and a near-complete lack of understanding about exactly how depraved some of the things she was doing actually_were, yet still unsteady on her feet and uncertain of her place in the harem's sexual dynamics. By now, she was generally recognized to be the most perverted and depraved of all the Consorts - a title that only Silas might have been able to contest if he'd been more than a Concubine - and even discussing sexual matters outside the heat of the moment failed to embarrass her in the slightest. While this shamelessness had an appeal of its own, he rather did miss watching her blush and stutter as she begged for a chance to lick his ass or feel his cock inside her.

Akena, meanwhile, was clearly quite shameless herself, and happily answered his curious expression with an in-depth explanation. She'd snuck out of the camp and galloped to Mosvaruch to attend mass at the Church of the Beastmaker there - a move that he could only give an acknowledging nod. She'd been insightful enough to realize that attending the church of Fairport - the small harbortown that the migration-camps has been built around - would run her a major risk of encountering other centaurs from the camps that might recognize her. Mosvaruch, meanwhile, was still within easy range, and both far bigger and far more urbane - at this point, it was probably the premier cultural melting-pot of the continent, thanks to its proximity to the Capital and its early pledge of allegiance to the Beastmaker. As a result, it also had one of the biggest and most well-attended churches in the world - making it quite easy for a young mare to vanish into the crowd, exploring her budding sexuality without drawing much of any attention.

"Did you know, they've started using these... color-coded armbands for the Gospel of Love? You pick them out when you enter, and wear them to show what you want and what you won't do, so you don't have to explain things to every prospective lover. It's really convenient!" Akena sounded excited, while Shanera blushed further - Achidias, meanwhile, absently nodded. He had, in fact, heard about that in the Seraglio - a trick that had been adapted from the elaborate body-painting patterns used by the Sirrush Sharptooth tribes. The Sharptooth Tribes had been very eager converts, with many of them flooding the churches on the Southern Continent - and the people there had seen the advantage of simply wearing a visible sign of your interests, enabling the traditional end-of-mass orgy to be greatly streamlined. The system they'd come up with - and soon exported back to their homelands - was at once greatly simplified and rather more complex compared to the one the Sharptooth had used for centuries. No elaborate decorations, just simple, brightly-colored rings that could be clipped on to arms or forelegs, each denoting a particular preference or restriction - with posters showing the meaning of each color hung in the churches for easy reference, in case you hadn't memorized it yet.

Meanwhile, the quiet Koneite was looking speculatively at her larger friend, suggesting that she_probably hadn't known about the young mare's sneaky activities either. "How many?" She demanded, face still expressionless. Akena tipped her head thoughtfully. "Hmm... five, I think. Yes, five stallions - none of them much older than me, I might add." Achidias slowly nodded. Made sense - sure, Mosvaruch's church was heavily-attended, but is Akena had gone there with bracelets denoting that she was _only looking for fellow centaurs, she'd naturally be mostly ignored. The whole point of the Gospel of Love was, after all, to share it freely among the different species. Of course, she'd likely still draw some attention from young colts who, like himself, had plenty of experience with other races but hadn't had the chance to mount a mare of their own kind before...

Koneite, however, was clearly wise to her friend's trickery. "All of them." she clarified, scowling ever-so-slightly. Akena giggled, clearly not too_perturbed at being caught out. "Oh, you meant in _general? I'm not really sure - things have been awfully busy every time. At least twenty griffons or so - they stood out rather clearly - but I just couldn't keep track of all the beastkin, let alone the_humans_..." She licked her lips, while Achidias winced slightly. Yeah, she was definitely reminding him of some of the girls back in the Seraglio. Chances were, the pretty, seductive mare had been thoroughly mobbed. There were lots and lots of adventurous men in the Church of the Beastmaker, and many of them remained more than a little reluctant to engage in homosexual activities, since this had been rather taboo until recently - not that Achidias could muster much sympathy for them... at least they'd_had_ the option. Regardless, with the continued rarity of Centaur mares, that left those men with few options to sing that particular 'verse' of the Gospel - so they'd have pounced on the opportunity represented by Akena who, from the sound of it, had probably entered the church with bracelets that solely restricted vaginal penetration.

"Every time..." Koneite mumbled, eyes narrowing further. "How many times?" Akena grinned. "Visiting the Church? Oh... only three times. I mean, they were awfully pleasant the first time, but that might have been a fluke - I needed to be properly certain!" Koneite, however, clearly wasn't buying it and declared, with a wrinkling of her nose, "Wanton woman." Akena just giggled again, and shifted her heavily-lidded eyes back to Achidias. "Oh, but rest assured, even though I've been mounted dozens and dozens of times, my ass is certainly still going to be nice and tight around a_proper_ stallion like yourself... so you can finish up there, if you like..."

Achidias swallowed, and was still trying to formulate a suitable reply when Akena shifted her attention back to Koneite, her smile growing just a touch nasty. "And as for li'l Koneite... she's got basically no breasts, and your size would probably be too much for her inexperienced tailhole, but she could certainly finish you off with her mouth. She's pretty good with it, as long as it isn't for talking... as both of Shanera's brothers can attest." Shanera, who'd just managed to somewhat regain her equilibrium after Akena's revelation, was staggered again. "Both of them? But... Shonaros is hardly more than a colt!" Koneite, blushing ever so slightly, turned her expressionless gaze on her friend and shrugged. "Your big bro didn't want to. Said I was still just a foal. Changed his mind when he caught me with Shonaros."

An unusually verbose explanation from the otherwise-laconic mare, and one Achidias could just about manage to figure out. If it wasn't for the fertile scent that hung about her like a delicious, delicious cloud, he himself would've found it hard to accept that she was an adult. And as for 'Shonaros'... he well remembered how the strange, unknown desires had risen in his own loins well before he was officially recognized as a stallion - if a pretty young mare had propositioned_him_ back then, he'd have been all over it... even if it was just to use him for practicing the oral arts.

Shanera was less understanding, however, and jumped towards her shorter friends with tears in her eyes. "But why?! Why would you sneak around with my brothers?" Koneite's stony face rippled briefly with pain, but ultimately she simply shrugged. "Only decent stallions in the camp. Didn't want to make things awkward." This, at least, brought Shanera up short - indeed, it would be hard for her to argue with either part of it, since she herself had said exactly the same thing about her brothers... and the awkwardness was certainly present and accounted for at this point, Achidias thought with a a shudder. Koneite threw a nasty look at Akena, clearly unhappy with having her little secret revealed, but as usual it bounced off the dark-haired mare like water off an otterkin's back.

Much as he was, at this point, contemplating the option of just quietly retreating out of the tent - preferably before the combined scent of three mares in heat finished eroding the rational part of his mind - and letting these girls settle their differences without him caught in the middle, however, he still had an obligation to see things through. If Shanera genuinely wanted him to be her first time, so that she wouldn't have to lose her virginity to the Scepter of Fertility, it was his duty to do so! He was less sure about Akena, but on the other hand, her seductive personality rather strongly suggested that it was really just a bit of fun for her - a way to tease her friend even as she provided moral support by losing her last virginity alongside the blushing Shanera's first.

Koneite, on the other hand... was the soft-spoken mare just being pulled along by her two friends' plans, giving in to peer-pressure? It was hard not to worry about her, even though he well knew that he was falling into the same trap as Shanera's older brother - seeing her as a foal, rather than an adult. Still, though. Turning his attention on her, he cleared his throat. "I'm starting to see the general picture here, but... if you have such an... umm... intimate relationship with two stallions you, yourself, consider 'decent' - wouldn't it make more sense for you to pick one of them to be your first time?"

Koneite's stony facade seemed to crack for a moment, her lower lip shaking and her previously-expressionless eyes turning rather puppy-dog-ish as she looked up at Achidias. "I just want it to be... together with my friends. Am I... not good enough?" Wincing, he looked away, unable to meet her eyes. Perhaps he hadn't been entirely wrong to suspect some kind of peer-pressure at work, but... there was clearly more to it than that. Now that he thought about it, between the rarity of mares and the strong division between the genders, a young mare would naturally be rather short on prospective friends. If she was in any way 'different', such as by looking noticeably younger than she really was, that would likely narrow the field even further. And despite their occasional pranking, name-calling and general mischievousness, these three mares were clearly quite close.

Looking around at the three of them, he sighed, ran his fingers through his hair, and finally nodded. "All right. Solving the problems that continue to hound the Centaurs is, indeed, my job - and if losing your virginities like this, together, to me can resolve the dilemma you're facing at this time, I would be remiss not to offer my services. So long as you don't expect me to make any of you with foal, I am fully at your disposal!" Akena nodded eagerly at this declaration - as did his instincts, which had been growing steadily more insistent as the smell of mare-in-heat continued to pervade the air in the small tent. She then gestured grandly towards the still-blushing Shanera. "Excellent! Well, since Shany was the one who actually went and lured you here, I think she should have the honor of going first."

The blushing mare took a step backwards, her arms crossed over her chest. "Wh...wha? I'm... not mentally prepared!" she blubbered, eyes flickering as they repeated to meet either his or either of her friends'. Akena, however, just chuckled and trotted back to her friend's side. "Now, now, don't be a silly filly... even I can smell your arousal at this point, even though I'm not a stallion, so there's really no point in acting shy anymore. Just turn around and lift your tail - let your instincts do the rest." If she was actually telling the truth, she had a keener nose than he did, Achidias reflected - there was no way he could pick the arousal of any specific mare out from the general hormone-fog that filled the little tent.

Regardless, she certainly hadn't been wrong, as became clear when Shanera - with repeated prodding from her grinning friend - indeed did turn around and hesitantly lifted her auburn tail. Underneath it, a flash of pink seemed to suck in all of Achidias' attention - a mare's pussy, engorged with blood and dewed with lubricating juices, practically oozing irresistible fertility. Indeed, he couldn't recall actually making the conscious decision to act - his body just moved on its own, surging forwards, forelegs rising from the ground to wrap around the young mare's hips.

She squeaked when his flat, slanted cockhead found her pussy, guided by instinct. She moaned when he pushed inside of her, and yelped once, briefly, as he felt a barrier stand in his way and then swiftly tear before his unyielding advance. His hips were moving automatically, thrusting with long, smooth strokes - perhaps less to do with instinct in this case, and more to do with frequent and extensive practice. He could not, however, deny that his hands were guided by a deliberate will as they arched down over Shanera's shoulders to cup her breasts.

Her moans redoubled as he began to knead them, squeeze them, pinch the nipples and pull on them... marveling all the way at the pliable feel of them, the soft, silken heft of them, and the sheer size! Aishee, back in the Seraglio, might have a bigger set - but not by very much - and these were in his hands which made them far better in his book. If there was one major drawback he could cite, when it came to mating with two-legs on the regular, it was that he couldn't do something like this. This - feeling her wrapped tightly around his cock even as his hands embraced her chest - was something he could only do with a fellow centaur! It had been so many years since he'd listened to the older stallions talking about it, describing the pleasures that the mares offered in such painful detail... but now, at last, he knew that they hadn't been exaggerating!

She was leaning back against his chest as he pumped in and out of her pussy, panting, her auburn hair tickling his nipples. Her hands, far from pulling his hands away from her boobs, were straying back, stroking the rough coat that covered his front, right beneath his human-like hips. On impulse, he bent forwards and kissed the crown of her head, whispering - quietly enough that her friends, who still hovered nearby, watching with eager giggles, couldn't hear. "This is actually my first time with a mare... for all that I've been with many other kinds of creatures... so it may not mean much. But I still think you're great."

He could feel her stiffening underneath him - then, she emitted a long, lusty, drawn-out moan, even as her pussy clamped down forcefully on his cock. She'd been deliciously tight before, but now it felt like a vise, squeezing down on him, forcing him to grit his teeth and focus his will. It would be all-too-easy to just relax, now, and join her obvious orgasm with one of his own - but here, once again, experience came through. There were many females in the Seraglio who frequently called on his services, and he didn't have Silas' seemingly-endless virility... so he'd learned how to hold back, making sure that every orgasm he allowed himself was paid for with at least two or three of his partners'.

Slowly and steadily, he continued to thrust as her climax ran its course - only then did he reluctantly relinquish his grip on her incredible breasts and begin to back up. Her hands instantly snapped up, gripping his, holding him in place. "Please..." she begged "Please, just cum inside me... I really want to feel it... your warmth, all the way inside me..." She was certainly a lot more forwards while halfway dazed with pleasure, he reflected as he gently removed her hands. "Sorry, but I can't do that. We had a deal, didn't we?" He paused, wincing as her labia caressed his retreating shaft - his cock was throbbing with raw, instinctive need. Her scent, redoubled now that his plundering shaft had helped turn droplets of her juices into a fine mist, was entreating his instincts to do exactly what she asked, and shouting a lot louder than she could ever hope to - but he wasn't just some dumb beast, enslaved by his desires! He was a_person_, and his head made the decisions, not his loins! "You do not need to... 'finish me off', as your friend suggested, though... if you don't want to." This continuation was rather pained, but it felt like the right thing to do, regardless of what his cock had to say about it.

Fortunately, she did not seem inclined to take him up on that over-generous offer. "No, I can definitely... ahn!" she started, before being interrupted by a final moan as his already-flared cockhead stretched her labia and left her body. "...I can do that much for you, at least." It was hard to say if the blush that covered her face now, as she turned around again, was one of arousal or embarrassment. Cupping her breasts in her own hands, now, she sank to the floor - all four legs bending underneath her - and leaned her human-like torso back along her equine lower body. "Even if I'm not enough of a mare to bear your foal yet..." she proclaimed, biting her lip, "I can at least do this. These... things are heavy and awkward and always get in the way, so... they should at least do some good in a situation like this!"

Achidias didn't really feel like trying to explain, again, that it didn't have anything to do with being 'enough of a mare' - it was simply that she was on her way to the South with her family, and if she carried his foal he'd be obliged to travel with her, which he couldn't. Also, he wasn't really sure how Sayn would feel about him fathering children with random mares - she'd been quite happy to help Thielwen become pregnant, but that was a rather different situation. Clearly, though, trying to get all of that through to the still pleasure-dazed Shanera would be a waste of time, and would only serve to ruin the atmosphere. So instead, he just gratefully stepped over her, careful to keep all four legs spread wide enough that his hooves wouldn't scratch her.

His cock, thoroughly covered in the mare's own free-flowing juices, slipped easily up through her bountiful cleavage. The soft and subtle flesh that he'd previously enjoyed feeling against his palms now closed around his shaft as she squeezed her breasts tightly around him, rubbing them up and down. Light licks and kisses peppered his cockhead as it slipped past her face, and he felt her auburn hair tickle it as well. Assuming she hadn't been accumulating some extra experience in such arts despite her virgin status, like her friend Koneite apparently had, this would be her first time trying something like that - but either she was just quite talented (beyond just the obvious 'talent' that was the size of her breasts), or her mother had given her carefully in-depth, if purely theoretical, instructions... as, indeed, many mares did, since they often preferred to provide such pleasures to their husbands when they weren't in heat. Or perhaps he was just really close to the limit even before she started, Achidias privately admitted to himself as he felt his balls churn in readiness.

Groaning and involuntarily flexing his hips, he came - firing an impressive load and sparking a surprised exclamation from underneath him. It only took him a moment to recover control of his limbs afterwards - yet more advantage of being a well-practiced lover - and he quickly stepped back at that point so that Shanera wouldn't continue to be caught underneath him. He winced a bit at the sight that met him then - his load had been sprayed across half her body, with much of it being caught in her auburn locks or the dappled coat that covered her back. The remainder - probably mostly from the last couple of spurts - had trickled down her face and stained her chest. Fortunately, she did not look overly perturbed, instead running a couple of fingers across her face to collect the layer of spunk and, after looking at them for a moment, popping them in her mouth to suck them clean. Face still flushed, she gazed dreamily up at him, seemingly not inclined to try and climb to her hooves again right away. "Did... my breasts really feel _that_good?" she marveled. He could only nod choppily.

A hand brushed seductively against his flank, and he turned in that direction to find himself mere inches from Akena's face. Her lips were parted, and the redness that colored her cheeks almost certainly wasn't from embarrassment. As her chest brushed against his, he could feel her nipples - hard as pebbles, poking out from the surrounding softness as further proof of high arousal. "Please... can I go next? I can't wait any longer..." she wheedled. His cock, which had barely even started to soften, surged with renewed vigor - but he nonetheless managed to turn his head and gaze over at Koneite, who was standing nearby, shifting her weight from hoof to hoof. Her face, too, was flushed - for all that she still maintained an expressionless mask. "Is that all right with you?" he asked, struggling to keep his voice level. She nodded sharply. "Fine. I'll help Shany in the meantime."

Akena, unsurprisingly, wasted no time lifting her tail for him too - and her pussy was, if anything, even juicier and more aroused than Shanera's had been. It welcomed him in as he mounted her, offering little resistance despite his cockhead remaining partially flared after his last orgasm. The black ponytail brushed across his face as he shimmied the last bit of way forwards, hips dancing to keep up - and with one thrust, he buried half his shaft in the eagerly-receptive orifice. He felt her virginity resist him for a split-second, then tear - confirming that she had indeed saved that hole, at least, for a special occasion. There was no sign of discomfort from the black-haired mare, however - not even the slightest yelp or flinch. She moaned lustily all the way as he filled her, panting with desire... not that surprising, perhaps, considering her obviously extensive anal experience. Getting her ass stretched open by centaur-cocks and griffon-knots alike would have stung a lot worse than the popping of her cherry, after all...

Once again, he reached around her to grasp the handily-located tits, using them as handholds to pull her torso in close to his chest. Smaller than her heavily-endowed, auburn-haired friend's, sure... but still nice and plumb and silky-soft, big enough to squeeze and tease - and sensitive enough to make her moans deeper and throatier as he toyed with them. She shifted, freeing one of her arms from his embrace, and reached up to wrap it around his neck even as she twisted her head to gaze up at him with an expression of lustful ecstasy - lips parted, breath panting. He made no resistance as she pulled his head down, pushing their lips together. Her tongue darted into his mouth, exploring eagerly. He returned the gesture hungrily. The girls in the Seraglio rarely bothered to kiss him, caring more about his other end - only Sayn occasionally sought such delicate intimacy from him, and even_she_ obviously couldn't do so while they were otherwise joined.

When she came, he felt it through the suddenly-frenzied motion of her tongue, the tightening grip on his neck, the quickening of the heart that rested beneath his hands, and the squeezing of her pussy around his cock. It was easier for him to restrain himself this time, despite the way Akena seemed to positively delight in extruding an aura of raw, unfiltered eroticism - after all, it hadn't been long since his last orgasm. Not that he couldn't still easily have shot a hefty load of hot, fertile sperm into her eagerly-receptive womb, mind - it just took somewhat less willpower for him to restrain himself.

As he began to pull back, forcing their lips to part once more, she looked pleadingly up at him. "Are you sure you won't... give me a foal? It's fine if you won't claim it - I'd be happy to raise it by myself..." He winced and shook his head, continuing to steadily step backwards. "Maybe some day, things like that will happen... and even be normal. But I think I'm still a bit too old-school to accept the idea of having an unclaimed foal." Maybe it was easier for these young mares to entertain such notions - they'd come of age only after the world had changed, after all. But he'd grown up in a world where foals were precious beyond measure, and where being able to claim one was the ambition and hope of every stallion. He'd listened to his father's worry as he counted the newborn every season, and compared them to the number of warriors lost on raids. He couldn't do such a thing.

This time, though, he didn't need to dismount his partner entirely - nor did he bother with the same kind of 'you don't need to if you don't want to' speech. Considering Akena's self-admitted experience and her character, it'd be both unnecessary and pointless. Instead, he simply let his flared cockhead slip from between her labia, and readjusted his aim for a higher hole. Her tail remained invitingly lifted, brushing across his wet shaft as he lined it up and felt her sphincter rest against his head. Then, hooves digging into the carpet, he surged forwards - impaling her with nearly his full shaft in a single lunging thrust.

This, at last, drew a shriek from her - and no surprise. Her past experienced encompassed young colts hungry for a first chance to mount a mare, griffons - who had very impressive knots once inflated but wouldn't have tested her sphincter with them, nor possess any particularly impressive length - and perhaps a few Horsekin or similarly well-equipped beastkin. None of that would have entirely prepared her anus for the intrusion of a fully-grown stallion's tool, nevermind its fully-flared head. But... she'd invited a full congregation to fuck her ass not once, but_thrice_. She'd come back, again and again. That meant she liked_it. She _enjoyed having her ass stretched and filled, enjoyed even the inevitable sting of pain. This was something Achidias understood and recognized easily enough - and knew just how to handle. Holding back, being gentle, giving her time to adjust to his girth - all of that would only have reduced her pleasure, softening the impact she sought.

As he pulled himself the last bit of way forwards, embedding the last couple of inches of his shaft inside her - teasing her overstretched sphincter with his radial ring - he grabbed her ponytail and pulled her head back so that she was staring up at him again. This time, her mouth was slightly open in shock, and small tears had formed at the corners of her eyes from the sudden pain. But when he covered her lips with his own, she returned the kiss even more fiercely than the first time around - and she eagerly thrust her chest into his hands as he once again reached down to fondle her breasts, even though he was rather more rough about it this time. Pinching, twisting and pulling on the sensitive nipples, squeezing the soft tissue forcefully... he could feel her writhing against him as this harsh stimulation joined with the sensations radiating from her overstuffed ass. But her tongue kept roaming, dancing around his own, and her spine curved with pleasure...

The tightness of her ass, the way her body fit neatly underneath his, the feeling of her soft, pliable breasts in his hands... it was all almost too pleasurable, and now he had no reason to worry about problematic pregnancies or restraint. She wasn't going to complain, so eager and hungry beneath him, filling his nose with the scent of need. He thrust and bucked and came, spraying his jizz into the depths of her intestines, feeling her tighten around him in an orgasm of her own - then kept going, using the newfound lubrication of his own slimy seed to quicken his thrusts. He fucked her hard and deep and raw, pounding her without restraint, instincts and rote skill melding together. Over and over, she moaned her pleasure into his mouth, her eyes growing vague and dim.

The sound of similar moans drew his attention sideways, and for the first time since mounting Akena, he looked away from her. Koneite had said that she would 'help' Shanera while he was busy with their friend, and at the time, he'd given no particular thought to what that meant. Now, with widening eyes, he saw that she'd apparently been referring to helping the dappled mare clean up the cum that had sprayed all over her body... with her tongue. The blushing mare, seemingly still rather unfocused after her earlier experiences, was fighting back only weakly as the short-haired, dark-blond filly licked across her face, then dove deeper to clean off the jizz that had dripped down on her generous tits. Judging by the tracks of moisture, the expressionless young mare had already licked the majority of Achidias' earlier ejaculation from her back and even sucked it out of her hair... leaving her own youthful-looking face liberally stained with the sticky substance.

He watched in rapt fascination, hips still pumping steadily but the long, intense kiss he'd shared with Akena broken by the turning of his head. Despite the expressionless face, there was a hungry eagerness in the tiny mare's movement that reminded him of the way Thielwen approached a fresh asshole, or Slira approached a huge cock. A... 'fetish', that was what Korlin called it, right? Some specific sexual act or aspect that irrationally aroused you. He didn't really have anything like that, at least not that he'd noticed so far - but he'd certainly seen enough examples to recognize it. No wonder she'd wound up practicing her oral skills on two separate stallions, and seemed entirely eager to try them on him too...

Regardless, a young mare licking his cum from the smooth, sweat-dewed skin of another was an intensely erotic sight. His hips began to move more jerkily, and he felt his radial ring push itself just a little bit inside Akena's hungry asshole as he penetrated her as deeply as their anatomies would allow. Groaning, he came, shooting a second load into the mare's hot, moist ass, sending yet another orgasmic shiver through her as well. He wasn't sure exactly how many times she'd climaxed during the ride - but he felt certain that it was at least four or five times, all told. Not bad, if he had to say so himself.

Still, he had to pace himself - there was still one more mare left to satisfy, after all. His cock was still rock-hard, showing no sign of softening for now - but he knew this was largely due to the scents that filled the small tent. The mixture of mare's heat and sex-smells - bitter cum, salty sweat and sweet juices - were thick in the air by now, sharpening his instincts to a fine point... but no matter how aroused he was, his virility did have limits, especially when he needed to perform so many times in a row without time to rest and recover inbetween. So, much as he'd prefer to stay within the tight, hot embrace of Akena's ass for a bit longer, maybe sending a third load in there to join the first two, he reluctantly began to back up - pulling his cum-stained shaft from the reluctant grip of the mare's taut sphincter with a sucking, slimy noise.

Koneite, who had finished sucking the last few drops of cum from Shanera's tits by then, apparently heard it - her head rising with immediate intensity, like a wolf scenting prey. Still expressionless, she jumped to her hooves with impressive agility and darted towards the two of them, leaving the saliva-soaked Shanera to groaningly struggle to her own hooves unaided. Putting her small body to good use, the dark-blond mare slid in underneath Achidias' hindquarters, between his hindlegs and Akena's. Not even waiting for him to finish pulling out, she began to lick the exposed parts of his shaft, her tiny tongue dancing across the smooth surface to pick up dollops of the cum that had coated it during the long ride.

Once his cockhead emerged, still half-flared, he felt her tongue immediately seek the area right behind it, where large amounts of cum had been scraped along by the flare. Well, cum and probably other things besides, but that didn't seem to concern her overmuch. The same could not be said for Shanera who, blushing and scowling in equal measure, staggered towards them now. "Don't... do that, Koneite! It's dirty!" She exclaimed, waving a hand in the smaller mare's direction. Her friend, however, seemingly disagreed. "It's delicious..." the laconic mare declared between licks, and then immediately returned her full concentration to the task.

Achidias was distracted from this vigorous debate as Akena, rather than waiting for him to finish dismounting, simply slipped out from under his forelegs and turned around. Despite the succession of anal orgasms, she'd apparently recovered quite rapidly - more proof of her extensive experience in that particular area. Her eyes, at least, were focused again - though she still seemed to be panting a bit, and her skin remained sweaty and flushed. "I'm really jealous of the Beastmaker..." she complained as she leaned towards Achidias again, practically flattening her breasts against his chest. "She gets to enjoy such a fine stallion every day..." Answering the invitation of those slightly-parted lips, he leaned down to plant another kiss on her, letting their tongues intertwine for just a moment before breaking it again with a grin. "Well, I'd say she's earned it, wouldn't you?"

Shanera, a fresh blush in her cheeks, interrupted them before Akena could answer - having apparently given up on convincing Koneite to abandon her current task. "What are you two doing?!" she complained, seemingly addressing Akena more than Achidias. "He was just supposed to take your virginity! There wasn't any talk about k... kissing!" Akena, predictably, chuckled and flashed Shanera a heavily-lidded gaze. "Oh I'm sorry... it just felt so good when he pounded my ass over and over and over, I couldn't restrain myself..." Shanera, blushing an even deeper red than before, seemingly couldn't keep her gaze from wandering down to Akena's rear end, where her jet-black tail still seemed to jump now and again, as if was still hoping for another chance to lift itself up and invite a well-hung stallion inside. "Does it... really feel that good?" She asked hesitantly, and Akena eagerly nodded. "Very good indeed. You feel so full and so warm, especially when his cum is just flooding you... there's no other feeling quite like it..."

Shanera seemed to be somewhat intrigued by this, behind all the blushing, but Achidias was having a hard time really focusing on the exchange - what with Koneite's tongue continuing to explore and carefully clean the full length of his cock. She really did seem to have some very nice skills there, he had to concede - perhaps not on par with the experienced ladies of the Seraglio, but considering the relatively small amount of experience she'd been able to accumulate, quite impressive nonetheless. Certainly, he was not about to soften up while under her tender ministrations...

Apparently satisfied that she'd gobbled up every bit of sperm that had previously clung to his shaft, Koneite finally emerged from beneath him, wholly ignoring her two friends who were, somehow, continuing a debate about whether anal sex was 'dirty' or 'delicious'. "My turn." she simply declared, her still-expressionless face noticeably softened by the cum-stains that now clung to it in several places. Achidias, who had already decided that he'd probably be better off not getting involved in the argument, quickly nodded. "Certainly. You've been very patient..."

He couldn't help but swallow a bit when she turned her rear towards him and lifted her tail. Engorged labia, check. Free-flowing lubrication, check. Thick scent of mare-in-heat, check. But she was so tiny... which extended to the hole she was now offering him. Shaking it off, he quickly jumped on her back, hoping that she hadn't noticed his brief hesitation - she clearly got enough ribbings for her childish looks without _him_adding to it. He also, wisely, didn't give voice to his honest surprise when her legs failed to even shake, let alone buckle - she took his weight without complaint, tail brushing his underside as he shimmied forwards.

Her youthful pussy seemed to be even tighter than Akena's ass had been - his flare had mostly disappeared while Koneite cleaned his cock, but nonetheless the tiny orifice resisted his entry, the labia reluctant to part before him despite the abundant lubrication. Considering that this was her first time, he really wanted to give her a good experience - this wasn't like with Akena's rear, where he could be confident that she'd enjoy it even if he went at it roughly and caused her some pain in the process. Still, a gentle prodding failed to provide any result save a quiet, bitten-off moan from his partner...

In the end, he had no choice but to put his back into it, shifting his weight insistently forwards and finally flexing his powerful hips. Like a battering-ram forcing open the gates of an enemy castle, her labia finally parted, allowing his head and a few inches of his shaft inside the hot, unspeakably-tight corridor beyond it. A stifled groan rose in response, but Koneite's legs still did not shake, and her tail remained doggedly raised. Achidias, meanwhile, twitched a bit. It felt like a fist had closed around his sensitive cockhead - a powerful, if well-lubricated, fist. And despite breaking down the gates, he still wasn't entirely home free - he'd simply come up against a second line of defense, as his tip rested against the thin, yet surprisingly tough tissue of her cherry.

Cognizant of the need to go easy on the slightly-built and clearly inexperienced mare, he took a deep breath and paused - given a minute or two, perhaps she would adjust to his size and stop gripping him so painfully tightly, he thought vacantly as he carefully bridled his instincts. In front of him, still out of easy reach, he could see her torso - thin and boyish, still lacking much in the way of womanly curves - shiver slightly. Turning slightly, she peered back over her shoulder at him, and he felt his heart skip a beat. Now that the mask had finally crumbled, he could easily see why she chose to generally keep her face expressionless - with those big eyes and that trembling lower lip, combined with such a small body, she really looked like she should still be spending one or two more summers frolicking in the grass with the other foals, far from her first heat. "Please... don't tease me..." she begged, in a shaky, high-pitched voice that also suggested that her general silence was designed to hide this equally-childish sound as much as possible.

It was a dangerous sight and sound - with only her scent reminding him that despite appearances, he was_not_, in fact, violating an innocent foal. He really didn't want her to keep looking at him like that, nor give her reason to keep begging with that fillie-voice... so, all he could do was give in to her request. Hopefully, she was ready despite her continued, near-painful tightness. With a grimace, he surged forwards again, forcing her maidenhead to reluctantly give way and finally tear - sparking a sharp intake of breath from the young mare, but nothing else. Forwards, forwards, hooves dancing across the carpet until he was able to lodge his forelegs into the nook between her human hips and her equine forequarters. The tightness that had previously been squeezing his head was now bearing down on most of his shaft - excepting the inch or two that remained outside, unused, thanks to her smaller body.

She was breathing heavily now, but not yet moaning - her thin upper body resting against his chest, his arms automatically reaching down to embrace her, fingers seeking and finding the tiny mounds of her underdeveloped tits. The nipples were rock-hard, standing out all the more due to the general flatness that surrounded them - and as he began to gently toy with them, the moans at last started to sound out. She was too short, alas, for him to bend down for a kiss like he'd done with Akena - otherwise, he eagerly would have, despite remembering just fine what she'd been using it for recently... just to silence those disturbingly childish-sounding moans.

Fortunately, the continued nipple-play at least served to keep her from complaining as he held still for a solid minute, letting her body get used to his girth. The tightness remained severe, but at least he no longer felt like he might pull her insides out of her body when he drew back. It was making his head swim and his self-control waver. Never mind the current residents of the Seraglio, even Sayn hadn't been this tight when he first met her! All of them were skilled lovers, who always gave as good as they got - working their internal muscles, moving their bodies beneath him, providing him with grateful, post-coital blowjobs... and, in the case of Thielwen, rimjobs both before and after. But none of them could grip his cock with such incredible force, making him feel like he was twice his actual size...

When he finally started moving, the moans redoubled - mixed, now, with little squeaks and gasps that did little to detract from Koneite's seeming youth. Still he was going slowly, using long, steady thrusts rather than pound her the way he'd done with Akena earlier. Even though the way she continued to bear up under his sheer weight told him that her tiny body was rather stronger than it appeared, he was still desperately afraid of hurting her, both because it would be a failing as a stallion and because it might color her entire impression of sex. He didn't want her to start thinking of it as something unpleasant that you suffered through for the sake of a stallion you loved, or for the foals, or just because you felt it was somehow your 'duty'.

Unfortunately, much like before, his gentleness had repercussions. Tipping her head back, she looked up at him - cheeks bright-red, a string of drool running from the side of her mouth, eyes already growing unfocused. "It's fine..." she said between pants "You can go a bit harder... please..." The image of tainted innocence she presented sent a shudder through him, but what could he do but comply? She was pushing her near-flat chest eagerly into his hands, while her own reached down to stroke his forelegs. She was a mare in heat, however small her frame, however youthful her face.

His instincts cared nothing for her size or her cute, round little face. It smelled her fertility, and stopped caring at that point. So at last, he gave it its druthers - and began to flex his powerful hips in earnest. He fucked her, pounded her, tore her open as the free-flowing lubricants emerging from her feminine depths gradually began to compensate for the vise-like tightness. It wasn't 'a bit' harder, he had to admit - but then, that had never really been an option. Once he relaxed his iron-cast self-control, nature had to take its course.

She bucked underneath him, emitting yelps of pleasure tinged with just an edge of pain - but even so, she was eager, receptive, just as her scent promised. She pushed back against him, bending her torso forwards to let him slide just a bit further forwards, inviting the last couple of inches of his shaft into her ultra-tight snatch. Somewhere deep inside, he felt his flare brush across something that made her stiffen and groan, fingers closing tightly around his forelegs. He was kissing the very mouth of her fertile womb, filling her to capacity, using every last millimeter of her tight, hungry pussy.

With a high-pitched scream, she came - her slim little body shaking between his hands, heart beating a million miles a minute beneath them. And still he kept pounding her with undiminished force. He'd already cum thrice in rapid succession - building towards the next load took time. It was getting easier and easier to move, too, allowing him to pick up further speed - his hips smacking into her tight little rear end with soundly force on every thrust, shaking her body, making her stagger. Her tiny body felt so deliciously pliable between his hands, so receptive... like he could do whatever he wanted to her, and she'd voice no protest, put up no struggle - just moan and whimper and yelp in that delightful, high-pitched voice of her as he filled her body with his seed...

He pulled himself up short, gasping as he felt her pussy constrict orgasmically around his shaft again. His balls were throbbing already, inches from releasing their freshly-accumulated contents. His cockhead was flaring widely, pushing against the already-tight confines of Koneite's innermost womanhood. He was so close to emptying all of his virile juices into her eagerly-waiting womb... but he couldn't do that. There were no ifs or maybes when a mare was in heat - one mounting, and a foal would grow beneath her heart... maybe two! And considering the state of the race until recently, nobody - least of all the centaurs themselves - had ever bothered to find any kind of contraceptives that worked for them.

But, argh, she was looking up at him again... her childlike face a mask of overwhelming pleasure and desire. "It's fine..." she panted "If it's you, it's fine... I'll stay here with you... bear your foals..." His loins surged, testes nearly jumping in their sack with eagerness to take her up on this generous offer. But his self-control had already bridled his instincts once more, and so - trying not to show how much internal struggling it took - he gently shook his head. "I can't do that to you... tearing you away from your family like that. Especially since the Beastmaker would always have to come first for me. It... wouldn't be right."

She moped as he shuffled back, pulling out of her - or at least, she tried to. The feeling of his flared head scraping through her vaginal canal, deforming the taut tissue, seemed to be distracting her somewhat, making her squirm and breathe heavily. It was a struggle to get the flare past her eagerly-grasping labia - they clung to it desperately, trying to deny his exit just as determinedly as they'd tried to prevent his entrance. But finally, with a wet plop, he slipped out into the cool air with a groan. Almost immediately, Koneite pushed herself forwards, practically shaking him off as she escaped the mount - only to then turn on a copper and dive down underneath him pointing the opposite way around.

He gasped as she kissed and licked his cockhead - this time, she wasn't wasting time licking the length of the shaft or whatnot. She knew what she wanted, and she was going straight to the source. His approaching orgasm had faded just slightly while he pulled out, but now it surged back rapidly - even as he felt her lips somehow part around the full circumference of his cock, pushing the flare back and inviting his head into her hot, moist mouth. His flare snapped back once inside, scraping across her teeth as it straightened out again - he wasn't sure how she'd managed it in the first place without dislocating her jaw, but he was certainly stuck now.... trying to pull out before the flare went down would be excruciatingly painful for him.

As her tongue teased his urethra, he finally came - filling the small mouth with a single spurt, completely coating her tongue. He couldn't see her down there, but the way his cock was surging, he imagined that her cheeks had to be stretched out, expanded like a chipmunk's. Even as the next burst of hot jizz made its way up through his shaft, escorted by her roaming, caressing fingers, he felt the pressure on his cockhead shift - her tongue sliding along the underside of it, a tight wetness moving just a bit up the shaft itself, and a circular pressure on his tip. Groaning, he realized what she'd done - unable to swallow fast enough to keep up with the deluge of cum, she'd pushed herself forwards and lodged his cockhead in the back of her throat so that he could pour his hot, fertile seed directly down her gullet.

So pour it down he did - his balls jumped and contracted with eagerness, as if trying to make up for their earlier failure to fill her womb by thoroughly filling her stomach. Spurt after spurt surged through his cock and into the darkness, despite it being his fourth load in a row - and only when the last drops had squeezed their way out did he feel the hot little mouth pull back a bit... and the suction as she swallowed the mouthful of cum she'd been savoring until then. Her tongue danced around the sensitive head afterwards, carefully cleaning off every possible trace of strong, bitter cum - not that it stopped its caress just because his cockhead was thoroughly tidied and slathered in saliva. Her hands, too, were still busy stroking his shaft, caressing it... milking it. Clearly, she'd be more than happy to remain where she was, sucking another load out of him.

However, after four orgasms, it was growing harder to remain... hard. Despite her best efforts, his flare gradually softened and receded, allowing him to finally pull back past her lips and teeth. As he stepped off of her, he looked around and ran a tired hand over his stiff neck. Akena and Shanera had lingered nearby, watching their friend with - respectively - a familiar smile and a scandalized blush, and he now nodded at them. "There... that should resolve the issue, correct?" Perhaps he shouldn't have phrased it as a question. Shanera, despite her obvious embarrassment, jumped a couple of steps forwards - her chest as delightfully bouncy as ever. "W... wait! It's not fair!"_she cried, gesturing at the other two mares. "I could tell you made Koneite climax twice... and Akena _several more times! But... I only got one..."

Akena chuckled, covering her mouth, eyes mischievous as ever. "Come now, Shany, that's hardly a fair comparison... I had most of my orgasms while he was in my ass, able to let loose without having to worry about putting a foal in me..." Koneite, meanwhile, did not seem interested in joining the argument - she was just sitting there, legs still folded underneath her, stroking her slightly-distended belly with a wide, cum-stained smile on her lips. "So warm..." she practically purred, much to Shanera's mixed embarrassment and annoyance.

Hesitating for a moment, the blushing mare turned around and lifted her tail - flashing a view that hadn't grown appreciably less inviting now that she was no longer a virgin. "Umm... well..." she said, squirming while Achidias winced and mentally queried his dangling testicles to see how much more work he was likely to get out of them. "If... uh... you're gentle, I suppose you could take my _anal_virginity too... and... maybe we could also... k...k...kiss?" This, at last, drew Koneite's attention, prompting her to stagger back to her hooves. "I'll clean." she declared without leaving much room for argument. Akena just looked at the three of them from under heavy eyelids and licked her lips.

It was several more hours before Achidias finally staggered out of the tent, his hypersensitive shaft having finally retreated into its sheath to rest, his balls so thoroughly dried-out that it felt like they'd physically shrunk. He could not recall having ever been this sexually worn-out before, even after the most lengthy and vigorous orgies in the Seraglio... of course, in those cases, he'd always had someone to share the load with. Normally, he was always happy to answer anyone who came to his door looking for some 'release'... or carrying an invitation for some larger event. If his sexual skills really was the main reason he was there, for all that he still officially carried the title of Consort, well, he'd better make the most of them, lest he wanted to lose his place altogether. Today, though... if anyone was waiting eagerly for his by-now greatly-delayed return, he'd have to disappoint them. With a sigh and a glance towards the setting sun, he began to canter back towards the Capital and the Palace that stood at its peak - too tired to gallop.

A few months later, as he trotted through the palace on some errand or other, he suddenly spotted a familiar face and skidded to a halt - at first not even believing his eyes. The auburn hair, the pretty face, the cute little button-nose, and those huge tits, straining against the uniform she wore - no, it_had_ to be her! Apparently, she felt his eyes on her and turned to face him, confirming his suspicions - it was Shanera, all right, albeit dressed rather differently than last he'd seen her. Centaurs traditionally wore no clothes - at most, they'd attach some leather straps to themselves in order to more easily carry various pouches, bags, quivers and sheaths... but those who had moved to human cities and made the decision to integrate there usually wore clothes on their human-like torso, as a symbolical gesture as much as to avoid standing out more than they had to. In this case, Shanera's once-naked chest had been covered by the black-and-white symphony of the traditional maid's uniform, right down the the lacy apron that hung, rather pointlessly, in front of her equine forequarters.

He blinked a few times, just to make sure he wasn't seeing things. She blushed, angrily. "What are you looking at?" She demanded. Answering a question with a question was generally considered impolite, but in this case he could think of no other reply. "What are you doing here?" he demanded. She shrugged. "I work here, obviously. Why else would I be dressed like this?" As if to demonstrate, she finished the task he'd just interrupted - watering one of the many flower-pots that dotted the marble corridors, softening the architectural lines and adding pleasing splashes of color to the general white-and-gold theme.

Brow furrowed, he looked around, halfway expecting Akena and Koneite to leap out from behind a column, similarly clad. "What about... the other two?" he asked, only to have her turn on him with a glare. "Oh, that's_the first thing you ask about, is it? Eager Akena and tight little Koneite... hmph! Idiot." He took an involuntary step backwards from the sudden surge of anger, trying to figure out why she was suddenly so pissed. "Uhh... I..." he babbled "I just thought your three were really close, that's all." Her face softened a bit, and her eyes took on a sad cast as she nodded, her anger apparently gone for now. "We were. We _are. They... wanted to stay too, you know, but their parents wouldn't let them. I saw them off from the harbor last week. We're going to exchange letters when we can... we've all been learning how to read and write lately."

He nodded, slowly, choosing his words carefully in the hopes of avoiding another eruption of anger. "Um... I see. Good thing you're learning - it's a valuable skill. I'm a bit surprised your parents were willing to leave you here, though..." She winced a bit, as if remembering a past argument, then shrugged. "Daddy always said it was hopeless trying to stop me when I'd made up my mind on something. He still tried, but... well..." she hesitated, glancing at him, then away. "I just decided that it was silly, traveling all the way to the Southern Continent to help build some 'Centaur Kingdom' there. It's not like they need another pair of hands that badly, and _this_is the center of the world, right? I think it's more important that we centaurs learn how to get along with the humans better, rather than just trying to emulate them by building castles and kingdoms."

Achidias nodded slowly, chewing over the argument. "That... is very true, I think. Almost sounds like something Korlin would say, honestly." Her expression instantly shifted, a broad smile and widened eyes changing her face into something even more beautiful. Well, anyone would be happy to be compared to a Kirin, he supposed. "So... to that end, you sought employment here in the palace, then?" he asked, and she quickly - and somewhat jerkily - nodded. "Oh, yes! What better place, right?" Wasn't much he could say to that, except to nod along in agreement.

"Well, I hope things work out for you... and of course, if you have any problems, I remain your representative, so feel free to talk to me!" he declared, flashing her his best 'handsome Consort' smile. She nodded silently, blushing scarlet - presumably remembering the last time she'd called on him to 'solve a problem'. As he started to walk past her, however, he found that a pair of fingers had grabbed on to the pouch-festooned leather strap he wore across his chest, somewhere near his hip. Gazing back at Shanera with an inquisitively-raised eyebrow, he saw that she'd looked away, staring determinedly off to the side while still blushing furiously.

"Um... actually..." she started, fidgeting, while he patiently waited for her to get to the point. "I'm... still not very good at reading and writing... do you... could you..." she trailed off and, a moment later, let go of the strap she'd been clinging to, pulling her hands back to cradle her chest protectively. "Oh, what am I saying... there's no way a Consort has time to play schoolmaster to a simple maid..." she said quietly, still not meeting his eyes. "I'm sorry to have bothered you..." Wincing at the sadness in her voice, he ran a hand through his hair. Well, it made sense - even if she had a good philosophy, stepping from a rather conservative centaur-clan and directly into the melding-pot of human society had to be a frightening leap... made all the worse considering that she was still struggling to learn something that humans considered extremely basic, such as reading and writing. It was perfectly understandable that she'd be reluctant to request help from a human... and of course, wanting to spending a bit of time with a fellow centaur from time to time. On reflection, he couldn't recall seeing any other centaurs on the palace's steadily-growing waitstaff, either.

Stepping in closer, he placed a hopefully enheartening hand on her shoulder. "Of course, I'd be happy to help you study sometime - as long as my other duties permit." he declared grandly. In truth, those 'duties' had been continuing to shrink steadily along with the number of centaurs remaining on the continent, as expected... well, of course, there still were his more erotic duties, and those still hadn't receded noticeably. Regardless, she certainly seemed happy with his reply, finally facing him with shimmering eyes and a smile that looked like the sun emerging from behind storm-gray clouds.

"Thank you!" she declared. "I live down in the maid's quarters... door 17. Just... come by, whenever you like..." He nodded, and was about to turn away again when he noticed the blush that was suddenly spreading across her face. Acting on a gut feeling, he lingered, watching her for a few more seconds to see if she had anything else to say. She did, finally, speaking rather rapidly. "I'm not in heat anymore, but if you want to... we could... umm... I... by next summer, I'll be a much better mare, you'll see! And then, maybe..?"

She was babbling, but Achidias felt fairly certain he'd gotten the gist of it anyway - and felt a slight blush creep across his own face. Well, her father had certainly been right about her being hard to dissuade once she'd set her mind on something! Turning it over in his head, he tried to decide how he felt about her apparent determination to bear his foal - but couldn't get much past 'horny'. "Well... I'd have to talk to the Beastmaker about it..." he finally said, just to buy some time. Shanera looked downwards at this, somewhat sadly - but then her eyes flashed up again, filled with determination, and she nodded. "I understand. You're a Consort. The Empress must always come first... and your fellow Consorts, second, I suppose... but... maybe... I could be third?"

She looked almost heart-stopping beautiful like that, he thought absently - the hopeful look in her eyes, the determined set of her mouth, the blush in her cheeks, the way her crossed arms were parting her boobs, making them strain against her uniform in a way that threatened to tear stitches and pop buttons... swallowing, he looked away. "I'll... have to think about it a bit..." he hesitantly declared, once again playing for time. He didn't think Sayn would have any objections, but... maybe there were some rules against fraternizing with the staff that he was unaware of?

Shanera obviously wasn't too happy about that answer - indeed, something in the darkening of her eyes and the turn of her lips made him suspect that she was struggling not to take it as a "Hells no, but I'm too polite to say so" instead of the delaying-tactics it was. What to do... well... carrying on a regular affair with one of the palace maids, and perhaps eventually impregnating her, that was something he'd have to run past wiser heads first. But just helping a downcast mare cheer up, why, that was practically his duty!

"Actually... you said you lived in door 17 of the maids' quarters?" he queried, rubbing his chin somewhat theatrically. She slowly nodded, a sudden gleam of hope in her eyes. "Well, to be honest, I've never been to the maid's quarters... and this place is literally getting bigger and more labyrinthine by the day. Do you suppose you could... show me the way? If you're not busy, that is..." She immediately nodded energetically, then shook her head, then nodded again as if trying to do both things at the same time. "I'm not busy at all! I'll show you right away!" she declared, and trotted off with Achidias quickly falling into step beside her. His own errand was far from urgent - it could even wait 'till tomorrow if needs be.

She looked happy and eager, walking there beside him... only the slightest hint of a blush across the top of her cute little nose. Leaning down, he whispered in her ear. "That uniform looks really good on you, you know... how about you keep it on while I mount and pound that tight, hot little asshole of yours?" Her entire head seemed to flash to scarlet in an instant - he was honestly surprised that steam wasn't coming out of his ears. The expected explosion of scandalized anger, however, never materialized - instead, she just stared ferociously down at the floor, and slowly nodded with a tiny 'Mmm' sound. Her angry side, however, still had the last word, however quiet - he could just barely hear it as she mumbled, under her breath - "Idiot..."

---

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE

Name: Achidias Parakemnosson

Titles: Khuu (roughly, 'prince') of the Mykene Tribe (former), Jinong ('crown-prince') of the Mykene Tribe (former), Centaur Consort to the Beastmaker

Age: 12 (Centaur age of majority: Varies somewhat from tribe to tribe, but usually around 6 years of age for colts - centaurs mature both physically and mentally with remarkable speed. Life expectancy is around 80 years.)

Sexual Profile: Largely heterosexual but not averse to occasional experimentation, if only to thumb his nose at the Centaur's creator - the war-god Thenares - who went to such lengths to keep his warriors 'straight'. Not terribly creative in terms of sexuality, but usually willing to go along with any reasonable request from his partner. Part of the first generation of Centaurs to experience primarily consensual sex, and determined to be a trailblazer in the area - thus, he maintains tight control over his instinctive urges, and always tries to remain mindful of whatever physiological limitations his partner may possess.

Psychological Assessment: Achidias seems to be suffering from a steadily-growing inferiority-complex. He views himself as the least intelligent person in the Seraglio, and while this might be technically accurate - with the Beastkin Consort, Lutra, being his primary competition for the title - he does himself an unkindness by focusing on both intelligence as the sole measurement of value, and the Seraglio specifically. He seemingly fails to realize that virtually the entire Centaur population holds him in high esteem, not least because of the courage, valor and restraint he displayed during the Great Bay Conflict.

Extrapolation: With the Centaur-population by now largely exported to the Southern Continent, he likely feels that his primary role has been more or less exhausted, leaving him as little more than a glorified Concubine who largely pays for his continued residency in the Seraglio with his well-polished sexual skills. Of course, the centaurs that remain_are either lingering remnants of the mostly-gutted tribes who persistently refuse to swear allegiance to the Beastmaker's Empire, and those who have abandoned their old tribes entirely in order to live in human cities. Both groups have rich potential for creating serious trouble - and the fact that they _don't is largely down to Achidias' ability to instinctively spot issues well in advance, heading them off with little effort. Perhaps the fact that he generally stomps on sparks rather than putting out fires is the reason why he does not consider himself equal to the other Consorts... though, the interesting question is whether his_peers_, nevermind his Empress, fully realize how much of a difference his light touch makes.