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Imperial Vows

By Bluevirage

Chapter One

I n a far away galaxy…

A young prince sat at a conference table staring out of an armored sheet of reinforced metal that was as clear as any ordinary glass window. It was embedded in a wall of armor overlaid with brick. It also held a whole host of defensive measures for the group the prince sat with. Together they were the collective leaders of an interstellar empire that spanned fourteen star systems known as the Incontyrn Empire.

Its capital was the Farearth system, one of three core solar systems that coordinated billions of lives and trillions in monetary transactions daily. Farearth was known for producing spacecraft, Thothterra was known for producing space stations and colony installation materials, and Gaialocus was known for producing knowledge; its educational facilities were attended by members of planets and groups not ensconced within the Incontyrn Empire's embrace.

The twelve leaders, eleven elected, represented the interests of the people via a constitution that was put in place some time ago by an ancestor of the prince to aid in the governance of the empire.

The prince listened as the group spoke about many things, Cubpernicus, a wily looking alien canine with orange fur and yellow green eyes sat next to Badgerellious: a large intimidating dark skinned near human with the ears of a badger and the fangs as well.

“Cubby," Badgerellious, also known as Badger by the other members of the council, addressed Cubpernicus by his nickname bequeathed by the large scary badger man. “you cannot just admire the pie, you have to eat it too!"

Cubby scoffed at his fellow council member's commentary. “I enjoy looking, I also enjoy looking at pound cake too,"

“We both know that is a lie you keep telling yourself."

“My liking pound cake is not a lie!" Cubby declared with a slap of his palm on the table, his claws clicking against the polished surface as he did so. “I even enjoy virtual pound cake."

Badger stood up, his council robe fluttering and pointed at the fox-like alien with a thick dark furry finger. “That pound cake is a lie!"

Everyone in the chambers stopped talking among themselves and looked at the two. Badger just glared back and everyone went back to their own conversations. The lively pair went back to talking about eating pound cake and pie and not just looking at it; during a short recess that was held in the council chambers. The recess was needed to keep one council member from nearly strangling another over a trade deal with a longtime empire enemy that was being discussed.

The group the prince was with always amused him, and they were a replacement family of sorts. He missed his father, mother, and siblings dearly but had moved on years ago. Now he looked to the others and the lessons he had learned over the decade of working with the aliens to run what would be his shortly.

It would all be his when he became Emperor in a few weeks. But the prince was jolted from his window staring reverie when someone began shouting. The council had reconvened and he had not been paying attention But his daydreaming had been overlooked considering who he was and the title he would hold within weeks.

"The choosing of an Empress must NOT be left in the hands of a Silothian!" Councilwoman Shareena Kyne, a muscular woman that took offense to people just breathing in her presence declared with a slap of her hand on the table. She was more intense and radical than the other eleven regents of the Council of Loluge: the name of the council that ruled the Incontyrn Empire from the capital city of Loluge, with the exception of Badger, and he was just naturally intimidating.

The group met daily to discuss various matters of governance; with two days of the week being half-days to allow for more downtime. As leaders of the Incontyrn Empire in absence of an Emperor of legal ruling age, the council debated over such tricky issues as the allowance of genetic modification of species and individuals; trade internally and externally between planets, and the elections of governors of worlds within their sphere of influence.

With the prince needing a mate to become Empress next to him on the same day as their wedding in a joint ceremony; the issue of a bride was not as difficult due to technological leaps made that enabled crossbreeding between alien races possible.

But the Incontyrn Empire had been always one of human centrist rule; they created it, and they generally involved themselves for the last 2,000 years in the running of it via the royal family and numerous elected officials holding some power to help keep things running smoothly.

But crossbreeding was somewhat frowned upon by the more traditional minded folk of the Empire; even among its mostly non-human citizens it was thought that you should stick to within your own genetic group for the purpose of children.

Inter-species marriage was popular but modifying yourself to have kids with that someone you loved enough to marry was still a social taboo.

“No need for shouting, I am just stating that I know the Prince very well. It is only reasonable that I select the individuals he should choose from for a bride." said Councilwoman Veloria Dri Oortrox, the Silothian that had angered Councilwoman Kyne with her suggestion that she be the sole selector of a spouse for the future Emperor; happened to also be his matron and most trusted aide for over a decade since the loss of his family and the previous Emperor in an assassination that nearly claimed the prince's life as well.

A large scale covered man cleared his throat. The pattern of his dark purple scales were strangely hexagonal on one side of his face while the other half were spade shaped. He wore the light blue robes all members of the council placed upon themselves when in session per imperial constitutional law. "Should the council be reminded that the future Emperor is sitting right here yet again for what, the thousandth time?" he rumbled with his deep voice.

Councilwoman Kyne looked at the Emperor to be and did not hide her anger when addressing him. "She could set you up with a..." the woman looked sickly. "man!"

Religious freedom, religious freedom, do not go tyrant and eliminate religious freedom. Dorian Artin Kyne, eldest son of the deceased Emperor, and cousin of the religious fanatic addressing him; stood up and pointed at Shareena, the bully of his childhood. "You are so far in the shadows with your dalliances, one would assume you have made allegiances with the unholiest of creatures."

Shareena stood up as well and then sat back down when glared at by the eleven other council members. "I have no idea what you mean by your statement other than to imply that I enjoy the company of women." Shareena clicked her tongue and shook her head slowly as she tried to come up with a polite way of telling Dorian to eat shit and die when Veloria spoke again.

"I raised Dorian, I know I can find a proper spouse for him, it is why I impressed upon this council that I, as his retainer, matron, and most knowledgeable of his desires; should be in charge of the process of procuring a mate for him." Veloria said smoothly in her sweet slightly warbling way while speaking in gender neutral terms to piss off Shareena further. Her large round eyeglasses were pinched to the bridge of her beak before large dark eyes. Though there were operations available, she fixed her ailing vision using a bit of metal and two plastic lenses to give her a clear view of the world around her.

Shareena fixed Veloria with a hard glare, her eyes hinted that she knew she was being baited yet again by the bird woman; but she refrained and kept her next words on topic instead of hurling an insult. "I shall not disagree with the following of traditional law since it is traditional, even if an alien party is following it." she smiled at Veloria. Said smile unnerved other members of the council, even Badger, whom were not even the target of it

"You just want to antagonize everyone today, why?" Dorian asked.

"I know I will not be considered for the honor by the bird." Shareena said quietly.

The statement silenced the room as everyone present processed what was said, even though the delivery of the word bird was intended as a slur.

Shareena continued speaking now that she had the floor yet again through her direct action. "The remaining branch families have tried to get back in power for a thousand years. Furthermore, the bloodline to date of the main family has remained human pure;" Shareena locked eyes with a stunned Dorian. "humans are some of the most vicious when you threaten the things we care about. I would suggest that at the very least you consider," Shareena fixed Veloria with her gaze then. "that human brides take priority, then focus on upbringing because anyone can be brought to heel by an Emperor's charms, anyone."

Dorian sat back in his chair stunned by the threatening, flirting and offer of subservience made by his cousin in the span of a single moment. It was no wonder she was the head of her particular branch family; she was a master manipulator, a two-faced woman that could offend and comfort in the same span of time.

Veloria spoke up then. "Certainly things to consider when hunting a bride for Dorian. But personal happiness is important too...and please do not suggest sexual acts that you will be willing to perform with your next breath, Shareena! Physical pleasure is a poor substitute for true comforts of the soul." Veloria said with a ruffle of her neck feathers.

Shareena looked mock offended. "I think my hearing is faulty, did you suggest that I suggested-"

"Enough!" Dorian slapped the table with his hand, the traditional way of getting attention without simply banging upon it. "The two of you should stop posturing for a moment; or dare I say it, 'flirting' so candidly during council sessions!"

"I agree," Joe Smith, a regular citizen that had been called to serve due to constitutional requirements that one common man be selected at random to sit on the council while the others were elected save the prince. Joe ran a hand through his dark hair and shrugged. "you two treat these council chambers as a bedroom for your verbal foreplay." his common birth and ways easily were recognizable because of his direct way of speaking.

"I started a betting pool that either," Joe gestured to the angry muscular human woman. "Shareena tries to abduct and rape Dorian, or that," Joe smiled at Veloria. "the general has her offed in a series of coincidental accidents starting with and ending with a clawed finger squeezing a trigger and a bullet just so happening to find its way into her skull."

Everyone just stared at Joe in silence, who settled back in his seat and sipped from a glass of water. Dorian, though the youngest in the room, knew the man was right for just cutting through the bullshit. It was also why he made it a point to keep on Joe's good side; the man was, for all intents and purposes, an assassin his father had previously employed if the rumors were true.

No trickery, save for fate, had gotten him back in the palace under his real name with his real face showing. Dorian never bothered to try and confirm what he had learned from the hidden journal he had read as a child. He just knew that Joe Smith was the most dangerous person in the room after Veloria and Shareena.

"I am fine with moving along." Shareena said. She had crushed her metal drinking cup, she was forbidden from using a glass for that very reason, and dropped the warped metal container to the table with a rattling clink.

"I am as well, thank you for grounding us Joe." Veloria said with a genuine smile and slight warble.

"Always a pleasure." Joe said with a smile and a gesture of his left hand. "So, how about that coronation? We spending a trillion credits as rumored by the tabloids or what? If so, we should get escorts for the more uptight members of the council as well as a few dances for Dorian and Cubby." Joe said with a wink to the latter. “Get you some pound cake and pie; and maybe get you two to relax."

Cubby just rolled his eyes and stared at his notes on his computer tablet. Badger nudged him and remarked, “And photos of you enjoying said pound cake and pie with the Emperor."

"Oh my god, you want blackmail photos." Dorian groaned.

"I can see it now," Joe beamed. "each of us holding a satin ribbon sealed photo album of the young Emperor sipping wine from the belly buttons of the finest prostitutes, guy or gal, this side of the Relleian Expanse!"

Dorian felt his face grow flush as more than a few council members began to chuckle. Joe most certainly was good at defusing situations, he most certainly was.

The meeting continued for a bit but shortly thereafter came to a close. The council had talked about having the Imperial Fleet do a flyover of the Capital City during the coronation ceremony to come. For the sake of simplicity, Veloria got everyone to agree that Dorian shall have selected a Bride and Empress by then to join him on the dais as they took the Vow of Loyalty to each other and the Empire.

A few people noted that she said Bride and Empress, instead of just either a Bride or an Empress. For an alien woman prone to not making mistakes, especially with a language she had used for decades; some suspected she had elaborate plans in mind for keeping certain parties satisfied with her selection of a spouse for Dorian.

Chapter Two

In a secure wing of the royal palace compound sat a room on the third floor. The door to this room was covered at all times by two armed guards and it opened outwards. The pair, like most guards within the palace, were armed with two obvious weapons: a collapsible club that sat within thigh holsters on the hip opposite of their dominant hand and a collapsible gun that sat nestled against the small of their backs over their body armor via a harness.

They were lightly armored, with said armor comprising of a chest piece, gauntlets, boots, and knee pads; worn over loosely fitting pressed uniforms in the royal colors which were blue and red.

The study they guarded was old, cluttered, yet lacking in the slightest bit of dust even though no help was allowed into the occupant's nest. Its occupant made sure to keep it suitably maintained for guests when she was not busy organizing events involving Prince Dorian.

It was Veloria's nesting hole, as it was called by the palace guard, and it was swept for listening devices regularly while also being kept clean by Veloria's own discerning dark talon tipped hands. Bookshelves crowded with all forms of paper and digital media surrounded a desk, a bed, and a small couch for herself or visitors to lounge upon.

Veloria had memorized the location of each and every important document or item within her study and knew when someone had entered unbidden.

She never bothered to lock the door when in the study, having had an open door policy that meant that if the door was locked, she was busy or out of the room.

Her food was delivered at regular intervals when she was preoccupied in her study as she tended to be at times; she had long ago relegated certain tasks to other servants, her priority was molding a traumatized boy into a man capable of leading a civilization of nearly 58 billion and growing spread across thousands of light-years.

Having developed a rather peculiar taste for nuts originating from the true human homeworld, Earth; Veloria was swirling her petite tongue about the inside of her beak to try and remove the peanut butter still clinging inside of it from a late night snack. The herculean task, given the little saliva she could produce, was enjoyable to her; each swipe of her moist tongue brought about a sweet taste and accompanying creamy sensation that was not unlike the grubs she enjoyed from time to time as well.

Pacing back and forth in front of a mirror Veloria's evening wear fluttered about her body as she moved. The clothing consisted of a white robe that contrasted her black feathers nicely that was fitted loosely to her body by a red sash tied around her waist. A piece of paper was held in her right hand while her left traced the lines written upon its surface with a single claw.

Veloria studied the speech she had written for about the tenth time. She refused to use a teleprompter nor an earpiece to give speeches. As the Chief Royal Retainer, among other titles she held, she was now tasked with procuring and vetting potential mates for her Emperor.

So the first thing she did was come up with a letter of introduction written on imperial letterhead by hand; she then had the letter duplicated twelve times.

Her intention was to invite potential Brides and future Empresses to the palace in manageable groups of twelve. Twenty-four guards would be tasked with guarding the attendees, with two to each individual; as they wandered the palace grounds they were to be escorted and watched at all times. Thus each set of guards were paired off by human gender, one male and one female; this would allow any suitors no gaps in their being monitored if they strayed into a refresher.

Veloria's eyes crossed as she realized it had reached the standard hour of 0434ESH (Empire Standard Hours); she had an early morning meeting before the council convened at 1200ESH, and she needed sleep.

The opening of her door caused her to stop pacing as a muscular human woman wearing a military style jacket, reinforced pants, boots and an armored skirt stepped in. Hers was a modification of the palace guard uniform; but the person wearing it was well known by the bird woman.

"I thought I would catch you up at this hour." Shareena said with a soft smile that made Veloria's feathers itch like crazy at the back of her neck the moment her dark orbs spied it.

Veloria placed the speech on her desk and sat behind it while motioning for Shareena to sit on the couch. The redheaded woman shut the door and sat down, her boots clattering against the stone floor as she settled in for her impromptu meeting.

"Yes." Veloria said, preempting anything the human woman facing the Silothian had to say.

Shareena was not surprised she had been outwitted; the bird woman was good at negotiation. Even before the other party knew what they wanted, she had usually figured out an answer to give them. "You...always was the most gifted at figuring out people; so why would you agree to my request before I even spoke it?"

Veloria closed her eyes and pulled in a slow breath through the tiny slits at the base of her beak. The scent of the barbarian royal before her intermingled with the soft woodland smells she always filled her living space with via candles from the local market.

"Because it is sensible considering I suspect Dorian will not choose a human as his Empress. Because it will prevent the civil war you will push for and lose badly if I do not agree." Veloria opened her eyes and focused them on Shareena. "You are not above brutality to get what you want; a sociopath like yourself is not completely incapable of love. You care for Dorian, but lack the resolve to just come out and say it.

"Because of all the baggage you carry, you pushed him away during some of the most pivotal times in his life. In particularly when he was recovering from the assassination attempt. It was times like that where your actions would have easily ended up with you being chosen by him without any intervention by me to be the Empress."

Veloria fixed Shareena with an angry look. "Whomever he picks of his own volition, I hope they can get along with you; the Royal Concubine, that is the name people will say for your position behind your back. Your children will not be directly in line for the throne, but you will have a say in how policy develops under the Emperor and Empress or with them, depending on how rule is shared."

Shareena hung her head for a long moment and then looked up at Veloria; the Silothian had fixed her gaze on her and stared hard at her. "I think I can manage with having that title." she said nothing further to the alien bird woman as she stood and walked out of the room.

Veloria eased the grip she had on the air-pistol she had strapped to the underside of her desk. It was not completely silent but it was far more deadly than many expected in her talons. She always kept it loaded and charged for surprise guests she had issues with.

Her pulse evened out as she calmed herself down. She could feel the beginnings of sweat beading underneath her feathers. Gene modifications for easier travel in various environments had been given to her in the egg before she hatched.

Rustling her feathers she fanned away the moisture easily that clung to her skin and stood from her desk. Looking at her speech she hoped the introductions with the first group would go better than her meeting with Shareena.

Feeling tired, and not wanting to endure the walk to her quarters; she signaled the guards assigned outside of her room that she would be sleeping in her study and got no reply via the radio sitting on her desk. Grasping another weapon hidden behind a series of books on one shelf; Veloria ventured to the door and used a small mirror to get a glimpse of the outside once she pushed it open a crack.

She quickly opened it all the way with a heavy sigh and was angry she had gotten the two men killed; she knew Shareena's handiwork, knew her style and should have predicted she would have likely tried to kill her that night if she got the wrong answer. It was readily evident as both guards assigned to her lay upon the ground with their necks neatly broken at first glance.

The woman had gone all in, fully committed to killing the one person that could effectively oppose her in battle within the palace. Dorian relied on Veloria in not only selecting a partner for him, but her keen warrior's judgment as well besides her other duties that came with being in charge of the palace servants.

The Silothian Veloria Dri Oortrox was a general in the Imperial Private Forces for ten years; her skills were very much remembered by the other PMCs (Private Military Corporations) employed by the Incontyrn Empire.

With so many different cultures comprising the empire, hiring a local military power to stifle or negotiate with a troublesome group was the best way to go. They knew the locales and were willing to use words more often than just kill everything and provide a bill for services rendered; the better PMCs operated like that anyway; and Veloria kept to that rule, words over force, even in her non-military life.

Though as she summoned the medical team upon realizing the men barely clung to life; she realized that yet again her gift for judging a situation had saved her yet again.

Chapter Three

The council glared at Shareena as she finished playing back her encounter with the guards via the holographic projector mounted in the meeting table. She had shown how she had baited them into attacking her and expertly broke their necks without finishing them off.

Dorian stifled a laugh that made the others look at him curiously. "I particularly enjoyed the part where you said 'Not like your sire did last night', in reply to an insult that you eat toilet waste and die after you implied his mother was a whore."

"I suggest we vote the thug off the council finally." Lisfu Decarte, the only human syllables remotely close to pronouncing his name, declared with a slap of his hand upon the table. The near-human boar man was very much prepared to tear his council robes from his body and resort to physical violence with Shareena if need be.

He and Badger were drinking buddies naturally, often forcing Cubby along to partake and be the voice of reason when talk of ripping off arms and legs and beating people with them started a few rounds in.

Shareena said nothing but looked at Dorian expectantly. "You have spoken with Veloria." she stated.

"That is not council business," Dorian tried to deflect the statement. "your behavior does not represent me, not yet anyway," curious glances were ignored by Dorian. “so this lays solely upon your shoulders." Dorian's eyes locked with Shareena's as he spoke. "I am tempted to actually let you be convicted in court of assault,"

"I have Diplomatic Immunity and I was attacked!" Shareena countered with anger brimming in her voice.

Dorian sighed and rested his chin on the back of his left hand and spoke softly to Shareena. "Verbal assault is a minor crime, but we can tack on enough additional charges to make you serve at least a weekend in jail and get a record."

"You are," Shareena glanced at the other council members and gauged her next words carefully. "rather certain that you could do that."

“I would pardon you after my crowning." Dorian smirked, enjoying having Shareena dangling at the end of a short leash. That was the way Veloria had described his future with his cousin, it was a sensible arrangement. She would be easily capable of diverting any attention away from the long list of non-human spouses she had prepared for the young man; with Shareena being made his bride, some would quell their talk of a non-human Emperor or Empress assuming the throne at least until said child came of age.

Two pairs of light pink hands settled over each other upon the table before their owner's bright white eyes and dark green pupils focused upon Dorian. The Winthropian, Bellnoise Coventus, appeared somewhat more giddy than she usually did. “I think we should discuss the fact that Shareena is going to be the Royal Concubine; if I am understanding what was said yesterday and today." Bellnoise, Bella to her selected friends, beamed at Shareena, whom she called Shar while the human woman tried not to call the four-armed alien rabbit-like woman something wholly inappropriate in greeting each time they saw each other.

Murdering the cute pink idiot would not win you any friends, even after you are wed. Shareena repeated within her mind for the second time that day. “Your continued lack of social tact makes Joe appear even smarter than we know you are."

“Dorian, do-not-stick your male part in the crazy!" Joe cut in. “We would back you in any civil war she would start if she did not get a chance to ascend the royal spire," Joe looked over Shareena and cocked his head slightly to the side. “three times a day, and a couple of times in a closet while the help is forced to listen to her call you pet names I bet."

“It was decided and I agreed to it. Before puberty and her forced gene-mods kicked in, she was nice to me." Dorian said solemnly. “I can take care of myself, and this news does not leave this...Bella,"

Bella looked up from a computer tablet she was busy using. “Yes?"

“What are you doing?" Dorian asked, already suspecting the somewhat airy Bella was busy coming up with nicknames for his children; she was prone to do that sort of thing during meetings, just change course mid-topic.

“Thinking of what you call nicknames for your kids, I think Sweet and Sour would be cute for twins born to you,"

“Bella put down the communicator." Dorian ordered. His coronation drew close and he was flexing his power a bit since he had decided to on his own allow the council to continue on in a lesser capacity as a government ministry with him as the leader of it with final say on anything major. This would be codified in law during the final council meeting via a vote he would bring up along with prepared documents to make it so.

He had yet to tell the others, but he knew Veloria likely already saw him making such a move. “Now, as I was saying, we need to keep this development within this room...or if you happen to leak the story wait until the day before the coronation at least."

“That is tantamount to permission to say something the day before the coronation, Dorian." Veloria warbled with the impression she was disapproving of Dorian's choices in words.

“Moving along," Ulin-La, Daughter of Rein-Ka leveler of cities, her actual name/title since she was a Katrellean, a species that remotely had anything to do with felines and everything to do with being a race of shape-shifting half-snake people. “we can get interceptors to do the fireworks and stunt flying the crowds expect at these sorts of things. Also the toy rights are up for grabs still for the latest production run of stellar craft; the engineers would even see a cut of the sales."

Dorian glanced around the room and pretty much he knew he was the show runner and it felt good. “Put them up for auction, also how about having a berthed carrier doing a flyover? Show the people what some of their taxes have been going to." Dorian replied while wondering what kind of fireworks he could expect on his wedding night after all the guests had left.

He still had not decided on how to tell his intended Empress exactly how he felt. She was a servant, and likely her selection would cause scandal; but that was what Shareena was around for, to help deflect some of the scandal of not picking a human as Empress.

Ulin-La balanced on her snake tail as her feline upper body held up a computer tablet and began to fill out a few message windows to various underlings. “I can get that taken care of. Disarmament protocols will be in place to prevent any accidents, Joe do you care to illuminate us as to what happened five hundred years ago?"

Joe became uncharacteristically serious in expression and words as he began to speak. “Fire control systems on a Cruiser in formation for a celebratory flyover of the Capital got remotely taken over by enemy parties. When all was said and done thirteen million were dead in the city with plenty more to come after we ended up in a war that enfolded the Katrellean Empire with our own.

“You take pride in your ancestor being a butcher?" Joe was uncharacteristically angry looking as he spoke to Ulin-La.

Shareena slapped the table with her hand. “Joe, Katrelleans boast about past battles when flirting; she wants to coil you up and-"

Dorian ignored the ongoing conversation as he locked eyes on Veloria. She was busy adding her own insights into the conversation by mentioning a parade was also on the agenda; she was always so busy, either fussing over him and proper etiquette, or having him try again when it came to passing within the hundredth percentile when it came to marksmanship and fencing.

No matter what he did he had to be the best, it was with this in mind he hatched a daring plan that he hoped would not have her thinking he was just a foolish younger man with a crush on an older woman; but just a young Emperor not trying to have his pelvis crushed by one of his bedroom partners if he was not aggressive enough.

A glance at Shareena found her staring at him and licking her lips in a suggestive way that made Dorian feel aroused and frightened at the same time.

Chapter Four

Veloria was flanked by guards and two palace servants that followed a step behind her. The servants consisted of her niece, Selena Dri Oortrox, and Tella French, a Wakridiean: a subspecies of human known for having indigo colored flesh and abilities as renowned mentalists. Not to mention their penchant for utilizing genetic mods that made them look like three eyed furry blue cat people.

The trio was apart of the first group to visit the Imperial Palace; it was a group filled with alien beauties, each hoping to become the Empress and maybe find love as well with the handsome Emperor to be, Dorian.

“What do you two think?" Veloria asked as she cleaned her large round glasses and tried to relax her shoulder muscles as she worked the dark blue cloth over each lens carefully. The feathers covering her head were complemented by a few artificial ones that were rainbow hued. She was normally not too colorful, but had decided to dress up for the occasion a bit. Her uniform was a mirror of the two women flanking her: a simple black dress that stretched down to end at just past their knees, along with matching gloves, and polished shoes.

In some respects the servants looked like dark clothed killers, some of which were; palace security was Shareena's third job after being leader of her own branch family and a member of the council. She had hired servants that were more than capable of cleaning up in more than one way if the need arouse.

Veloria had vetted each one to ensure they were loyal to Dorian and not Shareena by appropriately bribing those that needed monetary encouragement and threatening those that maintained the scarcest bit of loyalty to Shareena. Naturally, she did this nicely, away from Shareena, just in case an accident had to happen to those that resisted her line of questioning too much.

The feathered matron had ensured she was in charge of the servant dress code though; and felt that the dark colors muted any sexual thrill any outsiders would have for the servants while they were on duty.

She had changed the dress code for servants for the sake of giving them comfort as they worked; and lessening chances of important visitors sexually harassing them was important.

Historical records existed of a previous Emperor having made all the servants work while having as much flesh exposed as possible without it hindering their work. To say that the public was beyond thrilled when he had a stroke and his eldest daughter took the throne was not an understatement. They were not so thrilled when she instituted a crackdown on lewd materials in all forms that lasted for decades.

“Dorian is going to have a pillar in his pants for days." Selena chirped while looking around the large banquet hall. “Everyone is so pretty, and I see one handsome...lady?" Selena narrowed her eyes as she studied the guest she was having telling the gender of. “Some other species should have better gender dimorphism." Selena blinked as she looked at the party guest she was mentioning.

As tall as her aunt, but her feathers and features resembled those of a humanoid sparrow more than a raven like Veloria; Selena's keen black eyes studied all the visitors in the room. “Tactically speaking, you should have gotten snipers just in case."

“Who says I did not." Veloria chuckled as the trio paused at a table with neat white cloth draped over it with an array of dishes placed upon it. A servant gave them each a small white ornately decorated plate and then bowed as they began to pick up horderves themselves. “They got the grubs I wanted." Veloria smiled with a happy soft chirp and blink as she zeroed in on a few and speared them with a serving fork that was silver with a carved wooden handle. She popped them off the tool onto her plate and used a claw tip to apply a few directly to her delicate palate. “Smooth and gooey texture once you get them in your throat." Veloria sighed happily with a rustle of her neck feathers to show her pleasure. “You really should try some, Selena."

Selena helped herself to some on her aunt's plate and was met with a death glare. “I know you hate sharing food, but yours looked so much more tasty than those on the platter." Selena teased as she popped one into her beak.

“Theft from a council member is a serious offense; however you shall live niece, if only to get your Emperor a nice wedding gift that his Empress would enjoy as well." Veloria said with a commanding tone.

Selena sensed a test of some sort or a clue being given but was unsure of how to reply and simply said, “I shall endeavor to provide a matching set of jewelry, traditionally provided to newly mated Silothian pairs; but I think the anklets would look nice on Dorian and his mate." Selena narrowed her eyes and parted her beak ever so slightly, signaling a conspiratorial expression as she spoke.

“Yes, I have rather influenced Dorian's tastes." Veloria replied, offering no expression save for a slight Silothian smirk.

“Yet," Selena looked around the room. “I see no Silothian's here," Selena lowered her voice. “save for us that is."

“I hope you make Dorian happy then if he has a taste for feathers; or chicken to be more crude." Veloria chuckled and picked up a delicate drinking glass offered to her by a servant going around with a tray of them. It had a straw stuck in it that she carefully guided into her beak and applied the faintest of pressure to to get a sample of the drink held within the glass. “This juice is fresh, try some."

Sensing their conversation was finished, Selena nodded and took a glass for herself before the servant vanished to offer drinks to a group of guards supposedly on break and allowed to partake of the events as long as they behaved themselves. Said guards were from the Office of Multinational Imperial Operations (OMIO); getting a look at every guest invited by Veloria in person.

Veloria did not recognize them as palace guards because she had committed every employee to memory that worked at the palace and there were hundreds to remember. But she did because of her exceptional memory and because she wanted to be aware of whom intruded upon her domain.

The men seemed to be laughing it up, but their eyes occasionally darted over a guest or two at a time. A slight telltale flash of light came from their eyes, indicating corneal implants scanning faces and bodies alike. Naturally, these flashes were only visible to individuals who looked for them and had the ability to see a broader range of ultraviolet light like Veloria could.

The general in Veloria wanted to let it go, OMIO had every right to protect her adopted son; but the mother in her wanted to ensure they did not cause any undue harm to the guests that she had invited for him to make nice with.

As she tried to relax she decided to focus on her second favored servant, Tella, as she paused before a plate of roasted meat wrapped up in a large leaf and wrinkled her nose. “Did they have to serve this particular dish?" Tella shuddered. “I am having trouble reconciling the fact that it is made from...Zaptredian Wildcat."

Veloria and Selena shared a glance before moving along and pushing and pulling Tella along with them. “But I was not done complaining about the food! It is tradition!" the feline fumed.

Meanwhile Dorian observed the guests from a security room. He was alone, having asked to be left to his own devices as he observed everyone. His studying of the various beauties, and what he was sure was a hermaphroditic reptilian woman/man, was interrupted by his eyes straying to views of Veloria.

His fingers on the controls would guide the monitors to views of her; views that he enjoyed very much as she mingled with the party guests. His interest very much focused nearly totally on her though.

Dorian had a plan: he would feign interest in one of the guests; he would get to know this one guest well enough to fool Veloria into thinking he had selected them as Empress, and thus breaking with a tradition that the human founded Incontyrn Empire was led by only human couples.

Once alone with Veloria, he would express an interest in how to go about mating with an alien woman. He was certain Veloria would suggest reviewing of educational materials she had provided him some years back; and that it was not too different than what his instincts told him to do and what thousands did daily.

Dorian was so caught up in staring at the screens and going over his plan that he did not realize it was looped some time ago and that someone had slipped into the room alone with him.

“My, Emperor...we need to talk about this unhealthy obsession with me, your servant."

I have no curse word strong enough for this moment. Dorian thought to himself as he turned in the chair from the security control board to face Veloria, his true desire. From her clawed hands to her clawed toes, so very much like the dangerous birds of prey he had witnessed himself while out hunting take down smaller prey. She held within her talons a wrapped package that looked as if it had been hastily re-wrapped.

Veloria caught Dorian's gaze resting upon the package and cocked her head and slightly narrowed her eyes as she did when she smiled. “I had security check it again, just because I am trusted by you does not mean they should trust me. I also drank from it a bit, so that might explain why I decided to confront you like this.

“The camera feed here is doctored, but the security teams in place know their jobs and the secondary, third, and fourth security rooms all have eyes on that banquet room and all perimeter areas including outside this room where you are."

“I am safe," Dorian muttered as an afterthought as Veloria sat next to him and presented him with his gift. “but...I feel troubled." he said as he looked Veloria in her eyes as he sat the bottle down on the control console.

“It is natural you have feelings for me, I became your mother figure, and, I do love you but not in the way you think." Veloria rested her hand on Dorian's shoulder. “You are my son, Dorian, not by birth, not because of duty, but because I think of you as my own child."

Dorian bit his tongue. But he forced out what he had to say before he lost his nerve. If he did not speak now he would end up with what his heart did not want as his mate and one of the mothers of his children. “I had an elaborate plan,"

How sweet, Veloria thought to herself.

“I was going to feign interest in someone and then ask you about being intimate given that I have no experience."

Veloria looked puzzled and tilted her head. “What do you mean?" she chirped. “I swear you regularly have relations with mixed gender groups of servants. Your plan for hands on advice from me was doomed from the start, Dorian."

Dorian ran a hand through his hair as he frowned, having missed something so obvious and feeling embarrassed. “My father left instructions on how to throw off possible political enemies by confusing them as to your interests; in essence he said that if everyone thought you were into everything, everyone would think you were capable of anything." Dorian smiled, happy that he had fooled even Veloria; but still embarrassed that he had forgotten such a detail of the mask he wore around others, having removed it to bare his soul to his true love.

“That does not explain the sheets. Beds, couches, the floor as well..." Veloria recalled the servants having to scrub particularly hard to try and get out stains before they gave up and asked to have the furniture reupholstered if not outright replaced.

“I never participated, but that does not mean I did not watch; happily explaining that I needed visual lessons in the finer workings of fucking to please the future Empress or Emperor." Dorian ginned. “I did actually get a lot of painting done, said paintings will never see the light of day under my name, but the collectors market for my virginal artistic works will be huge once appropriate rumors are started."

Veloria smiled again in that way her people did and watched as Dorian moved his chair even closer to hers so that their knees touched. “You can't, we can't, I am…" Veloria looked away. “unworthy." she whispered. “Cradle Robber, Empire Thief, Alien Whore: can you take one of your wives being called such names by those that do not approve?"

Dorian cocked an eyebrow as he took the alien bird woman's clawed hands into his own. “So it is okay for Shareena to be called names but not you?"

“She is a mean, vindictive, killer; and I respect that as a warrior. But as a woman, it does hurt to be called unflattering names, and I do not want you to suffer the pains of both your wives being subjected to abuse; hers would be minor compared to your alien bride, furthermore if I were that bride it would be much more intense."

“Everything you just said, I bet she says about you." Dorian remarked. “Though you hid your past from me, and never thought of mentioning it once I got older. Even now, I wonder if you would lie to me to try and protect this motherly image you have built up of yourself." Veloria said nothing and Dorian continued.

"When I first saw records of your battle history," Dorian looked away from Veloria as her eyes teared up in shame. “I thought you were a monster that would creep into my room and kill me." Veloria nearly pulled her hands away from Dorian's but he firmed up his grip and forced himself to look at her pained expression.

“Understandably I was nine and my parents had just gotten killed along with my siblings, and I was in a hospital bed getting lost in the Galactic Data Network, playing games between counseling and physical therapy sessions while you fought for my rights; keeping my uncle at bay and others while enforcing constitutional law.

“People said the Bird Butcher would cut their throats if they did not agree to your terms while you were not in earshot but I was and I looked up the name."

Veloria thought about the campaigns where she had to fight, where no amount of talk kept soldiers from dying. One of the most famous pictures of her online was attached to many articles, had her wielding a large bladed weapon and hacking through a person as they leaped at her from the side hatch of their disabled tank. Though small framed, her genetics had been manipulated in many ways; one way besides compatibility with humans was strength, brutal, feared, strength.

“Your image popped up along with your service record within the first few hundred thousand hits. Though no one says it, they are respectful and frightened of you. I was too, but then I realized, you saved me that day." Dorian smiled and stroked his thumbs over Veloria's fingers. “You saved me. Thank you, Veloria, I never said it before, but thank you."

Veloria focused on calming herself down enough to speak coherently enough for Dorian's implanted translator to understand her. She was glad he already knew enough from her lessons about Silothian bodily language and speech to supplement the device so he would fully understand what she was about to say next.

“I am no hero; I should have been apart of the Emperor's bodyguard unit, I should have made your father understand that I would not cause people to get the wrong idea. But he said that it would be best if I were a servant in another way; I hated the idea of watching a hatchling at first, as each of your siblings had their own bodyguard assigned to them as well; I was certain someone else in the rotation, your first bodyguard, could do the job. But then when the explosions started, the gunfire, my blood getting spilled, yours splashing over me..." Veloria tightened her grip on Dorian's hands. “The Bird Butcher came back, and I liked it Dorian.

“Not the deaths of your family members, the other bodyguards, your suffering, my own; I liked letting go of my control, this," Veloria borrowed a human gesture and motioned to herself with her beak with a gesture of her head. “image you see before you, this calm island in an ocean of bloody feathers." Veloria leaned in closer to Dorian, watching his eyes. “Can you love me as I am, as I really am?"

Dorian remembered as he laid alongside the downed transport a red feathered bird warrior shooting and cutting down anything that tried to get near his transport. It was only later that he realized it was his blood and the blood of the Empire's enemies covering Veloria that gave her that coloration.

“Forgive my language," Dorian began with a smile. “but with you by my side, no one would dare fuck with you or me. I spent years trying to reconcile my feelings, I was scared of rejection, but then I realized you never once tried to harm me and have done everything to ensure I was the best I could be. I doubt you would harm me now, though everyone hurts the ones they love on occasion. And I would accept your rejection...after a while."

Veloria smiled at her master, student, and child rolled all into one package. But now, things would change and she decided to let them. “I do not have many years left of fertility...if I was a normal Silothian that is what I would be saying. But since I am not..."

Dorian pulled Veloria into his arms, the moment was now upon him to ask. “Will you be my Empress?"

“Yes, yes I will." came Veloria's soft warble as she closed her eyes and held Dorian tightly.

Chapter Five

Dorian felt his hands move to grip Veloria by her shoulders gently, part of his mind telling him there was the party to get to, but he felt he should intimately embrace his future Empress then and there. Veloria's soft caw of pleasure as his nose found a tender spot on her neck and gently nuzzled against it made Dorian smile.

He had not extensively researched Silothian sexual practices, he wanted Veloria to mold him as her lover when in private. In public policy and control would lay mostly with him as the blood heir without changes or agreements being made; his two wives would certainly impress upon him their own opinions and encourage certain actions to be taken when it came to leadership.

Veloria responded to Dorian's touch by pulling the younger male tightly to her. As she hugged him her trembling hands began to trail her claws over his lower back. Even through his uniform she could pick out the hardened muscles of the human male that embraced her. “Let me please you, we have a party to get to; no time for a royal planting."

“You mean ploughing," Dorian muttered as he breathed in her scent, much to Veloria's amusement if her chuckle was any indication.

Dorian pulled away a bit and said nothing as Veloria unzipped his pants. He leaned back in his chair as she slowly fished out his erection and stroked it. His eyes studied Veloria's expression as she cradled his intact male hood. Light-skinned, throbbing, but not wholly different from anything she had personally interacted with before.

She made two fists and began to slowly squeeze and rub gently since her hands were dry. Her eyes met her Emperor's as she worked his hardened flesh. “I hope you can make do with this, my liege." Veloria's ecstatic alien expression made Dorian's blood boil and he stroked the side of her face as she pleasured him.

“Can't wait for later," he smiled as she removed one of her fists and gently fished out his orbs.

Veloria did not understand how to phrase a sexually exciting statement, but was hopeful her next actions did not kill the mood. She gently began to roll his testicles in her almost leathery textured hand. Her thumb's claw tip gently tracing over a vein as she continued to stroke her future husband's erect member with a soft grip.

Dorian bit back a groan as Veloria began to increase her grip and stroking of his flesh. He felt himself grow close and wanted to drag things out but knew that it was only the first of many intimate entanglements to come.

Veloria felt Dorian's shaft pulse and a white streamer of his seed splashed against her beak, glasses and right eye. She did not flinch, the effect was pleasing to her and she stroked Dorian a bit more firmly, milking out all his fresh seed until her hands were coated signaling her success at making Dorian feel pleasure.

The Emperor to be pulled in a few satisfied breaths, his eyes closed and his mind idly wondered about how good future handjobs would be once they had time to properly get acquainted. As his lust faded, his erection softening, Dorian watched as Veloria cleaned herself up with wipes.

“You really do come prepared." Dorian chuckled as his cock was cleaned, causing a few more pulses of cum to emerge as his tip was wiped down.

“I-" Veloria did the Silothian equivalent of a blush by turning her head sideways and peering at Dorian with a single eye. “carry these for my peanut butter sandwich clean up, I can get rather messy with things I like."

Dorian smiled at her words. “We do not have time for flirting, we have to get back to the party."

Veloria took note of her words and made a note to keep track of sexually suggestive statements she could make. Her tactical mind went to work as she finished cleaning up Dorian and herself. “Did I get it all?"

Dorian looked over himself and Veloria and nodded. “I think so, nothing on you or me."

The pair left the security room and Veloria quickly undid what she had done to loop the footage and reestablish a secure live feed to the banquet hall with her personal computer tablet. The guards that were on duty saluted the pair as they left their private meeting.

Upon entering the room they immediately retreated to let the room's air-circulators eliminate the obvious stench of lust. Neither said a word until finally one of them spoke up. “I wonder if it is like eating chicken."

The other guard slowly turned to look at his fellow and said nothing while trying with all his might to stifle a laugh. It was worse than being yelled at by a trainer wearing a goofy hat on purpose; an exercise in keeping one's composure at all times even when faced with an idiot of a politician or leader yelling at you.

“Never thought birds were fans of bananas." he replied which got his fellow laughing and soon they booth were shoving gloved hands into their mouths as they reentered the room and shut the door behind them.

Chapter Six

The party had wound down after a few hours with Dorian and Veloria's absence not really noted by anyone but her niece whom knew from the pheromones her aunt was producing exactly what had went down.

“He could have grabbed anyone else," Selena said after rejoining her aunt. “I hope he does not think he can keep using you for his lusts once he is married." Selena whispered to her aunt as they finished escorting the guests out.

“His pillar needed attending to." Veloria replied offhandedly as if speaking about the weather. She was deliberately teasing her niece, knowing that her imagination was now going wild speculating as to what had happened while her aunt was away with the future Emperor.

Selena's brown feathers ruffled in a scandalous way and she said nothing. “Would have been nice if it had been me."

Veloria sized up her niece and smiled with a warning glint in her eye. “Do not make me hurt you."

Selena blinked and inched away from her aunt feeling real fear, there was nothing playful in her tone or body language. It was almost as if she was mated to... “No…" she started to whisper as realization hit her that things were far more serious between her aunt and the human. She clasped her clawed hands in front of her and smiled. “but you were like a mother to him."

“He likes older women."

“Shareena will,"

“Have to share, it is in her name ironically." Veloria smiled back as she turned away from the landing bay as the hangar doors began to close as the last ship left and the gun turrets powered down once it shut.

“So who are you inviting to the crowning and how far did you go so far?" Selena asked as she followed her aunt out of the room. Outside was Tella, awaiting them with additional guards that joined the pair that followed them.

“I bring news that Shareena has moved into the Western Sector of the Palace and declared herself...Royal Bride or some other such title while also insinuating that you," Tella bowed to Veloria, her braided hair drooping as she did. “are to be future Empress."

Getting out in front of the scandal, a bold act, but also foolish without a shared plan future sister. Veloria thought as she studied the eyes of the people around her. To lie now would mean to keep lying. “No comment at this time, though I am certain if I am selected we shall know soon enough."

The guards, many having served in battle under Veloria, knew that was as close to a “Yes I fucked him, we are going to be fucking, and I am going to be your fucking Empress" that they were going to get out of her. Some even grinned but held their tongue as was expected of them.

“I am happy for you, but also confused," Tella began to say with a slight scowl. “the tabloids will be speaking of the fact that you raised Dorian; any dismissal on your part of his feelings would not be seen as a bad thing. And Emperor's ruling without having a proper Empress crowned at the earliest convenience is nothing new if he has a Bride.

“The whole royal marriage system as it stands was setup to prevent what had once happened, a single Emperor having numerous lovers with no chosen heir. It is why the Bride and the Empress system works as it does: to allow for two parties from two different backgrounds to lay claim to the throne for their children; with the Empress's children taking the throne unless they decline it."

“I know about that," Veloria sighed, Tella was one who loved history which was why Veloria kept her on hand to be a living reference book since data could be manipulated. “and thus, things are as they are now, with numerous branch families, one of which Shareena commands. So naturally, she moved in with them to flaunt her promotion.

“Forcing the Emperor to take a lover or someone as his Empress at the coronation eliminates too many more branch families from being formed hypothetically speaking. Dorian could have a dozen bastards at this point and we would not know unless he spoke up."

Tella studied Veloria and nodded in understanding before committing to words what she had to say. “Hypothetically speaking, you're possibly going to marry your son."

“I possibly have the power to dock your wages if you delay me from seeing to it that my hypothetical wedding does not go off schedule due to Shareena being a scheming whore." Veloria said before marching off with her two top assistants in lockstep behind her.

Chapter Seven

Shareena studied Dorian in his evening wear, a cloak thrown over a shirt tucked into riding pants and boots. He had taken an evening jaunt with his favorite steed, Brightstar, around the indoor track when news reached him of Shareena's misbehaving.

The redheaded woman stared at Dorian while biting her lower lip. To make a move against him now sexually could be called rape by some, but Dorian would never let it be known as such. “I am sorry for interrupting your evening ride but not sorry for moving in, my husband to be." Shareena crept closer to Dorian on the sofa as she spoke.

Dorian still felt somewhat confused by the former bully's change in attitude towards him. “Is power all you crave?"

“No, I crave what you gave that old hen earlier."

“Do you have spies everywhere?" Dorian asked in a tone that implied he was not shocked nor surprised she knew about him and Veloria getting close.

“I am in charge of security services for the palace remember? And right now you are very much in danger of being ravaged by me!" Shareena ignored Dorian's startled expression as she closed in on him. Her hands were at the ready to tear open his clothing in her co-opted room.

The rattling of the doorknob and the banging of a fist on the door did nothing to prevent Shareena from pulling Dorian into a heated kiss. The sound of a powered saw being started up caused her to stop the kiss and shield Dorian with her body as sparks flew into the room as the bolts were cut through in short order.

The door flew open and Veloria stood on the other side of the portal glaring at the couple with guards flanking her holding Shareena's clansmen at bay. She gently sat the saw on the marble floor so as to not chip it and waltzed into the room, toe talons clicking. “Shareena, a bit...impatient are we?"

“My turn." Shareena said simply over her shoulder.

“I am too old for this childish behavior from you." Veloria moved to pry Shareena away from Dorian and struggled with the woman as she gripped the sofa she straddled with Dorian underneath her.

“My-TURN!" Shareena barked as bird talons dug into her shoulders and pulled with amazing strength.

“Do I have any say in this?" Dorian asked from underneath Shareena as her clothed breasts swayed in front of his eyes. “Cousin, we could retreat to a more secure room to speak right?"

Shareena allowed Veloria to remove her if only to let Dorian stand. Veloria and Shareena bowed respectfully and stood back to allow the young man some room to breathe. “Now I understand why the guestrooms have such poor door security and open inward." Dorian said as he checked himself over.

“The better to get a schemer out of your pants." Veloria huffed.

“We should establish ground rules, the simpler of which should be when Dorian has no preference, the one that did not go last should go next," Shareena gave Dorian a pleading look. “this is the state you have left me in! Nearly abducting you, my Emperor, to sate my needs! I am not a woman of loose morals, but knowing our marriage is impending I would at least like to know you like a wife should know her husband."

Veloria would have thought the speech had no effect on Dorian but the erection he gained during the struggle had not wavered. “Are you going to listen to her or your own heart?"

“Hard-on is more like it," Shareena quipped.

“Not what a woman of morals would say!" Veloria snapped.

“You are the only one I would ever allow to speak to me in such a manner regularly and you know why." Shareena said suddenly darkly.

Dorian settled back on the couch and watched the two women glare at each other for a full five minutes. He felt enough time had passed and brought their attention to him. Their expressions softened and they followed his motions to join him on the couch. “Guards, please locate another room nearby for negotiations."

“Understood, my Emperor." the guard closest to the door motioned to two of his fellows and issued quick orders.

“Once they procure a room, I am going to show you exactly who is in charge." Dorian said in a commanding tone.

Dorian and Veloria looked at Shareena as she shivered in anticipation suddenly. It dawned on them both that it was not anticipation she was shivering from as she bit down hard on her right gloved hand and gave a full body shudder that shook the couch.

“Wow." Dorian said.

“Indeed." Veloria added.

****

Veloria gasped as Dorian delivered firm thrusts into her cloaca with his thighs battering her spread feathered thighs. Sitting at a nearby table with her hands clenched into fists, Shareena watched the door as Dorian gave his virginity to Veloria happily. Chancing a glance behind her, her eyes darted over his firm buttocks as he flexed and rocked his hips firmly into the Silothian's feathered body.

Her thick bottom was covered with nearly black purple feathers. Her hips jiggled as she cawed and cooed as Dorian thrust into her. Her claws dug into his shoulders as she was taken by the man she would come to know as husband instead of adopted son soon enough.

And it was all in front of her rival who was, as in charge of security services, watching the door for intruders from the inside of the room. It was meant to be a punishment, but all it did was give a little thrill to all involved.

With her dark underside exposed to the room for all occupants to see Veloria found herself reaching her peak rather quickly. She tried to form words, tried to let Dorian know, but all she could do was lock her legs around him and sing.

Dorian felt Veloria's entire body quiver and as it did the muscles in her cloaca wrung his cock rhythmically. The feeling was so good that Dorian barely resisted submitting his seed to her clenching hole. Stopping he cast a glance over his shoulder as he made his Empress to be come, he spied Shareena glaring dutifully at the door as commanded.

“Good work, keep watching that door!" Dorian grunted as he began thrusting again once Veloria loosened up her grip on his manhood as she came down from her high.

Shareena scowled and clicked her tongue as she heard Veloria cum all over Dorian's dick. “I still say it is a mistake to use a meeting room as a place for such activities."

“When one needs to ensure their bloodline continues, no room is inappropriate." Dorian replied.

“I am sure Uncle Victor, may he not be observing this from the ether, would approve." Shareena sarcastically replied.

Dorian was about to say something snappy when Veloria wrung his dick with her inner grip hard enough to nearly spill his seed. “Yes, beloved?" He said as he refocused his attention on her.

“You need to stuff your bird before we finish." Veloria cooed as she dug the tips of her talons into Dorian's back.

“At once, and keep watching that door Shareena." Dorian said over his shoulder before he began thrusting into his beloved teacher harder.

“Yes, husband." Shareena scowled as she felt herself getting tipped over the edge herself. She came off as only a dominatrix, but she was a switch, and right now her subby button was being hit hard by the scenario she found herself enjoying.

As a Kyne woman bred for combat and subservience she had problems in her earlier life staying true to her upbringing. Such was the conflict that she resorted to religion which backfired on her. It made her want to lose control even more, and when all was said and done she had declared a few minor wars to unite a few branch families behind her. These conflicts were mostly events marred by no loss of life but plenty of broken bones and missing teeth as she brought cousins to heel.

As the couple behind her did everything in their power to express their lust most carnally within earshot of the amazon Shareena began to tap her right foot in beat with Dorian's thrusts. The rustling of feathers, the slight groan as he delved deep into her bird hole; Shareena stifled her orgasm by clawing at the table hard enough to strip the laminate from its surface.

As Shareena reached her finish Dorian flexed his hips a few more times and came inside of Veloria with a satisfying groan. Not feeling the least bit tired he was about to start up again when the table was flipped that his cousin had been sitting at.

“Well I think we should stop, don't you Dorian?" Veloria said as she peered around his muscled body at the angry redhead that was setting the table upright once more.

“Yes, security is getting rather restless. We can continue in my private quarters." Dorian nuzzled Veloria's beak with his face and she cawed softly as he withdrew from her body. The couple looked at where they had been previously joined and were amazed at the amount of fluid they had produced.

Shareena positioned herself closer to the door as she listened to the pair clean up and get ready to exit. She glanced over her shoulder as Dorian finished affixing his cloak to his shoulders and opened the door ready for a fight with the first thing that looked remotely threatening to her.

The guards stationed in the corridor made it a point to not meet her eyes as they waited for the group to pass with Shareena at point. They slowly got into step behind the small party as everyone tried their best not to comment on the events that had transpired.

As professional soldiers, the men would keep their mouths shut. However Veloria having long ago retired from being a professional soldier, felt free to indulge in a little agitation of her rival. “That was good, next time let's try a closet and have someone stand watch outside of it. A nice-tight-closet."

Dorian glanced from the woman clinging to his left arm to the back of the woman in front of him. Her back muscles rippled in a single angry wave as she overheard the alien bird. “That would be interesting." Dorian replied with a noncommittal answer as he hoped it would prevent a fight.

Chapter Eight

The day of the wedding, coronation, and union of Dorian Artin Kyne to Veloria Dri Oortrox and Shareena Kyne was one fraught with news reporters, diplomats, and guests from all over known space.

The Incontyrn Empire had many longstanding frenemies, but none were made truly angry by the last few Emperors so everyone were on somewhat good terms as far as keeping border skirmishes down and allowing people to travel freely between territories outside of the core worlds of empires, federations, and the occasional collective.

Many leaders sent representatives to the wedding; though the odd leader themselves showed up with their personal royal entourage and escort fleet demanding to be allowed to park city killing ships in orbit, lest they be forced to traverse a greater distance between their ships and the capital city of Loluge in nothing larger than a mere freighter.

Veloria and Shareena both had previously recorded slightly threatening messages in case of such a situation happening; Shareena's messages were more overt about why it was a bad idea to, being brutally truthful, fuck with them on their wedding day. So leaders had to make due being forced to land in the capital city via fancy freighter.

Security and intergalactic political incidents aside everyone entering the Farearth System for the wedding had to have physical documents in the form of invites to the wedding in triplicate; along with a registered identification with the Incontyrn Empire as well as proof of identity on file with the Empire in the shape and form of a genetic sample for fast service.

The DNA scanners were running billions of clock cycles to compare people to what was on file a week in advance of the wedding to get the important movers and shakers on planet by the time of the wedding.

Veloria had just managed to convince her mother and father that she was not trying to get their planet obliterated by secretly assassinating the Emperor; that theirs was just a strange love and that while she had fifteen years on him, Dorian was her beloved.

Her father, Keilori Tir Oortrox, was an old Silothian and had not approved of her being modded as she was after being laid. “Your mother put those strange bugs in your body,"

“They are called genes, dear." Saywari Mir Oortrox warbled with half lidded eyes.

“Whatever they are, they gave her a case of money fever!" Keilori cawed.

Veloria gazed at her father strangely, wondering if he had misspoken his insult. “What?"

“Damned money got you into going off to fight in wars and kill people. I have neighbors that refuse to speak to me for fear of having you pay them a visit!"

Veloria relaxed a bit. “As long as you are not insulting my future husband and Emperor, I as Empress, will not be forced to have your grubs poisoned father."

Keilori's clawed hands became gnarled as he gripped his walking stick tighter. It had red tape on it signifying that it had been screened and re-screened multiple times for weapons. “You thought I said 'monkey'? By the Sky Father, may I never offend him, why would I insult Dorian like that? He is a fine young man, I considered him to be a son before you decided to marry the lad! Now that, that is something I want to talk to you about after the wedding!"

Veloria locked eyes with her father and the old bird's gaze remained firmly stuck to her own. It was when she noticed her father's breathing had slowed that she realized he had fallen asleep with his eyes open standing stock still with his hands firmly grasping his walking stick. “Mother...just make sure he stays awake during the wedding." Veloria sighed.

“Yes, yes, but...have you sampled the goods?" Saywari beamed. “I made sure they made you capable of taking the insertion of a humanoid penis. Also are your royal lady parts working alright too if you did? Not too sore or anything like,"

Veloria cut her mother off with a clicking sound and had two guards remove her parents from her chambers before she ruined her wedding dress with sweat from stress.

****

The Kyne family women watched their daughter pull on her royal armor with glee. Her flexing muscular form appeared almost girlier than she normally allowed herself to appear as she got dressed with her sister's help.

“How do I look?" Shareena said with a smile as she flexed her fingers as she slipped on jewel encrusted forearm bracers.

“Like a bodybuilder in royal regalia." one sister, Regina said with a toss of her dark hair.

“Like a whore."

Everyone looked at Grandmother Gale and said nothing as Shareena fixed her gaze on her. “Really?"

The old woman with grayed hair and two hundred plus years of life behind her cackled. “Yes, you have finally graduated from cow, congratulations; but the moment I hear you failed to get pregnant within the first month of bedding your husband; I will personally take him to bed myself to see if something is wrong with him!"

Shareena accepted the odd praise from the tough old amazoness and affixed her silver and gold cape to her shoulder pauldrons. “I will not fail in that regard, I have developed a taste for eating chicken that will help in that regard."

“You mean, beating chicken right?" Grandmother Gale asked with a raised bushy eyebrow.

“I know what I said!" Shareena said with a stomp of her boot. “So get your hearing checked!"

****

Dorian held a box that had a sealed letter within it. He had only opened the box once before, to read what advice his father had left him; and he was told to not read the letter within it until his wedding day.

The box originally had been sealed once with wax drippings and again by Dorian himself as a child after he had initially opened it once he had returned home after recovering from the assassination that claimed his mother, father, and siblings in one bloody and explosive moment.

Dorian broke the wax seal, fiddling with the latch that held the box shut and opened it once more. Its inside was a rich royal blue velvet, and next to the letter sat a small dagger made from, a fragment of what was supposedly an exploded warhead that nearly had killed his great grandfather that had founded the empire so long ago.

Dorian sat the box on the dresser of the changing room he had sealed himself in to read said letter. Reaching in he grasped it by its faded white edges and opened it gently. He wanted to keep it, it was one of the last things his father had touched and he had preserved it much like his parents and siblings rooms.

Within the letter sat a crystalline chip that he studied, the technology was still commonly in use, hundreds of thousands of terabytes of data could be stored on it and it could theoretically last till the end of the Universe itself.

He fumbled with the crystal for a moment, uncertain as to what he would see but finally he inserted it into a reader embedded within a computer tablet. Sitting down in a leather backed chair he watched as the storage crystal began to unlock itself upon recognition of his security clearance that the tablet carried once he had touched it.

The digital gene-locks opened and the future Emperor set the tablet in his lap and watched as a video began to play.

“Dorian," the voice that spoke was of his father long dead. “I bequeath to you your inheritance, as eldest it is expected you will take the throne, and with it the power to rule through resources, force, or kindness.

“As you know, I have ruled through utilizing all three methods to various odds and ends. I am not telling you how to rule, but this methodology is something to consider son. However because I am not speaking to you about this in person, it means I am dead; but you live and that is what is important; and you should live how you choose to live.

“Another message recorded for your Uncle, should he find himself upon the throne and going through my son's belongings, awaits him that contains quite colorful language involving usurpation and how many STDs his whore of a wife got from sucking all the dick she must have had to get him on the throne without him killing anyone. All unlocked by his digital genetic fingerprint.

“But, you are seeing this because either you are Dorian Artin Kyne or are his descendant, that being said, here is the best advice I can give you right now,"

Dorian listened to his father speak from beyond the mortal plane and took note of the many facts about the founding of the empire his father had to share; he then accessed the additional data stored on the crystal that was unlocked by his first use of it and sighed to himself as reams of data concerning hidden money accounts, super weapon caches, and many digitized books from the human homeworld as well as the location of the homeworld.

Dorian nearly dropped the computer upon seeing the coordinates for the homeworld. The place that birthed humanity had been lost for generations but there it was. Dorian wondered about what it meant to know such a thing and keep it from the billions of humans born so far away from their origin point and never knowing its beauty aside from stories and copies of digital pictures that could easily be doctored.

He was not about to judge his father or his ancestors, it was too big of a deal for him to ponder. But, such a secret was something he could use to hold sway over others; and the weapons caches, those were well known about but their location was hidden to history and only the Emperor or Empress themselves.

It was how the first Kyne had cut a path to rule first a solar system and then lightyears of space. Dorian then focused on his wedding, he had two beautiful women, both killers in their own right, ready to protect him due to their love of him or their perverse version of love of him.

He was not sure which, Veloria or Shareena, had in their heart for him; but he knew that he wanted Veloria and the part of his child self that remained from the good times of his youth wanted Shareena around as well. That was all he needed to know as he slid the crystal into his boot and left the chamber; ready to be crowned and ready to face the future as Emperor.

Chapter Nine

Joe sat on the trussed up pile of knocked out assassins he had personally picked off himself using non-lethal means. He watched the coronation and wedding via video beamed to everyone who cared to watch on the planet live with appropriate delays elsewhere within the solar system.

The event would be recorded and transmitted elsewhere for the rest of the Empire to enjoy; and while he wanted to be there in person, his decoy performed wonderfully and allowed him to act on his hunches about who the final players would be in a background drama that started more than a decade ago within council chambers he knew so very well.

The old assassins guilds had not liked being disbanded after the killing of the previous Emperor; while they had operated for years legally, the law was changed due to a young bitter man that had sat on the council with him only after learning how to walk again after having endured surgery and recovery that took weeks instead of months due to his demanding regenerative therapy the moment his nervous system was capable of taking it.

The pain was tempered by a rage that his cousin had fanned the flames of in an attempt to make him strong through rage. Yes, rage got things done, rage moved empires at times; but it could be destructive if not tempered. Veloria, she was key in keeping Dorian sane while he recovered. Her very presence having comforted Dorian more than she knew.

Joe considered now that he had crowned her Empress that they would soon, along with Shareena, venture to an estate for a month or so of expected successful attempts at producing heirs if they had not started already; which Joe and everyone else on the council already knew they had.

While the physical scars on Dorian were gone, the mental ones were fresh back then. And in a moment of bitterness a child had created thousands of enemies. However, Joe had used his connections to take care of those enemies himself.

Sure, his profession had been targeted, but only on the planet the capital resided. Dorian was smart, he only sought to create an off-limit zone while not eliminating a legal means of seeking retribution when actually wronged through other parties.

Assassins were the public's way of getting a problem person or figure removed. Even the Emperor was fair game if a person was bold enough or greedy enough to take on the job.

The fools that had taken on the job to kill Dorian's family were dead. The branch families had paid well to see to it that they died as swiftly as possible. Even Joe had taken on a few contracts of the harder to kill ones involved in the conspiracy for laughs and pocket change.

Death was funny to him because people confused it with something terrible. It was release, even one could will themselves into death if trained to do so as Joe had seen firsthand after being captured by a target and his guards along with the rest of his hit squad. His leader had been pumped full of antidotes to suicide drugs and truth serums, but the man was strong enough to force a stroke to prevent the spilling of secrets.

And as he died to the surprise of his captors, they turned to his less experienced and cowardly partners; cowards because they did not follow him in death, but not truth spillers as their captors found out.

Joe had scars from that botched assignment on his body, but he had lived and saw to it that Dorian did as well after his creation of a safe zone within the Incontyrn Empire. He had argued that a full repeal was not needed, but a place for all to not worry about having death around every corner waiting for them in an assassin's gloved hand.

He re-instituted state executions with the law for certain crimes, but craftily hidden text within it that did not allow for them to continue after ten years. More than enough time for him to see through his own vengeance with Veloria aiding him in the hunt for his parents and siblings killers.

It had been long, it had been bloody, but Joe had kept Dorian safe. “You guys made me miss the wedding." Joe said to the pile he sat upon. “But knowing that Dorian gets to get his women and keep his life makes it all worthwhile. And I get to keep playing at politician too, but you idiots, you get shipped off-world with nice little notes explaining in detail what will happen to you if you do not change professions.

“Call it a wedding gift, and a toast," Joe held a flask up to the monitor he watched the wedding on and downed a large gulp of cheap liquor from it. “to my nephew from his secret bastard uncle; may you reign long and never have to use the hidden weapons caches that made the empire in the first place."

Epilogue

“Why can't I fly if I have feathers?"

Dorian studied the sweet face of his eldest daughter, all of three years old and wise beyond her years. He saw within her eyes his own reflected back, the glistening orbs like a mirror as he studied his child's face with a smile.

While she looked perfectly human at first glance with clothing on; she was a hybrid of Silothian and Human; her eyes were dark like her mother's and she had feathers covering her arms and legs except for her hands and feet. Her exotic look was complemented by hair that was a deep dark purple.

Deloria Oortrox Kyne stared at her father and repeated her question. “I said,"

Dorian shook himself out of his reverie and poked Deloria in her forehead causing her to emit a squawk of annoyance. “Princesses do not fly unless they get an assist from their daddy!" Dorian lifted Deloria over his head and twirled about with his daughter laughing all the while. It would be a few years yet till she was able to get translation nanotech, but she had mastered the trading tongue as well as her mother's own natural language just fine.

While the human populace mostly kept their mouths shut about the 'Hen' in the palace; preferring to call the Empress that as a way of insulting and complementing her ability to produce heirs behind her back or in private circles. Veloria took it in stride, because it was true: she and Dorian had six children already in three years.

First there was Deloria, certainly created when Dorian and Veloria had their first tryst in front of her other mother, Shareena; whom had taken a liking to the girl and trained her while she trained her son, Lyle, in the ways of the blade via foam practice weapons.

Dorian had watched children fight over toys before; but when two combat trained three-year-old's fight it is a whole other matter. Luckily, only plucked feathers and bruised egos resulted; Deloria was strong, stronger than her half-brother and pulled her punches instinctively.

Then there were the two sets of twins, more girls, and finally his youngest with Veloria was a male human; at least externally, with a penchant for grubs and peanut butter.

Shareena had only three children and swore as soon as her fourth pregnancy was done she would seek more royal seed; her presence within the royal household and at court kept the more extreme members at bay as far as Dorian having, to crudely put it, half-chicken, children.

Shareena begged for him to allow her to kill a few that had suggested she bump off her Emperor and the Empress and prop up herself as regent until her son was of age. Dorian suggested they let the idiots keep talking, as long as they were just talking, they were no threat.

But she had his permission to execute as the head of security services anyone that threatened their family if she could get to them before Veloria did. The few brutal examples of Veloria protecting her kin were well known; and the Empress usually made a few public appearances with a number of feathers on her head stained red; just to prove a point.

A few of those examples had red feathers left at the scene; and that a certain Silothian and her niece were usually nowhere to be found during the time of these incidents. However, who would dare try to investigate the Empress for murder?

Palace security kept losing the tapes when attempts were made by reporters; and only speculators online kept up with the few facts that were available about the open secret that the Empress was personally killing people that conspired against her family.

The Emperor stopped twirling his daughter about and hugged her tightly. “Please do not turn out like your mother." Dorian whispered as he sat down in a pile of pillows to watch the rest of his brood play as a nursemaid or two hung about to assist him with babysitting.

He had volunteered for the task in the morning that week to watch the children; then he would convene court and entertain guests and make deals while Veloria took over the children's care. Finally in the evening Shareena would host court at times, freeing up Emperor and Empress to spend time together; with the royal family coming together for dinner after Shareena was finished.

In this way rule was split among the trio equally and Shareena would get time alone with Dorian when they rotated the schedule the next day.

Dorian wanted his peaceful life to last and he could not have asked for a more happy family as he checked the time and expected Veloria and Shareena to appear at any moment to collect him and the children for dinner.

He was happy, and as he gazed over his children he thought it was about time he considered looking into bodyguards for each; though it was unusual, he would not be surprised if one or two of his children fell in love with their protector.

It had happened once, a royal falling for a servant, and it could easily happen again.