Slowly and gently at first, I massaged Zince's very tense shoulders, using increasing pressure, until they had become all nice and soft and relaxed. Of course, my body could handle only so much, and I kind of tired myself out, especially my arm, which were hurting and trembling a little, and the lamia had made a seat for me again, and I was leaning against her upper body as she had one arm around me, the other arm petting my hair gently.

I hadn't known there was a way to sit properly in a giant tiger girl's lap, but Wren was somehow upright, prim and elegant, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Most of the time I saw her back before I had wrecked her first family and Eve had happened to us, she wasn't in "proper noble mode", since that would've drawn attention in public, but perhaps it was a natural state for her to take while waiting for the crown princess slash her owner.

I had worried I'd look like a pet, and I probably did, but it's not like I really minded it... it was just embarrassing. But it was just the four of us, except when another girl would come by to tell something to Zince-- sometimes aloud, if it was minor, but sometimes whispering in her ear as Zince covered up my ears.

I was more than fine with this, I felt like I knew too many secrets as it was.

Eventually, Princess Asperia arrived, and I sat up a little, as did Zince and Valentine. Wren's posture was still perfect, of course.

Princess Asperia stopped, her eyes fixating on Wren, then looked us slowly over. Finally, she smiled. "Welcome back, Wren," she said softly. "I assume you want me to take control of your collar once my fiance comes back?" The word fiance was just slightly stressed, perhaps to emphasize that she did not want Wren to kill Eve, but if there was any other hidden meaning, I missed it.

"That would be lovely, my Princess." replied Wren. "However, that's not why I'm here."

I inclined my head. "My Princess... Wren freaked out a little initially when her sealed mind came back... I overreacted and attacked her, and she's fine, I healed her up, but it was a noisy altercation, and technically--"

Princess Asperia turned and raised her fingers elegantly a little as she looked down at me, and I fell silent.

"You two, come into my room." Princess Asperia's eyes shifted to Val. " Valentine, are you here as part of that incident, or were you just guarding?"

Valentine blinked up at Princess Asperia blankly. "I wasn't a witness to the event itself, but I did come in afterwards."

Princess Asperia stared at her for a moment, then nodded with a smile, stepping close and stroking her cheek, leaning down to press her forehead against the huge gladiator's as she scritched behind her ear. "Stay outside, then. If there's a difference in their stories, or we need you for anything else, I'll call for you."

Zince stroked down the side of my body as she removed her arm from me, and I felt like the gesture was more meant to be comforting or affectionate than lewd, but I felt a little bit of arousal nevertheless.

For whatever reason, I had never been so horny before I was put into this cute dog-girl body and came to a harem full of polyamorous sex slaves. It was a mystery.

Wren and I followed Princess Asperia into her chambers, and she gestured a little, closing the door behind us, then went over and sat on her bed, pointing to the floor before her.

"Okay, how exactly did she freak out?"

"Oh, she was going like... well, I don't remember the exact words, but staring down at her hands with like an 'oh my god' sort of expression, and then she looked at me with this emotion I couldn't read, and moved closer to me, and I thought she was going to kill me. I panicked and slammed the Wind spell into her with most of my mana pool, and she crumpled against the wall, and I ran to get help."

"Wren, what are your plans now?"

Wren inclined her head. "My princess, my beloved owner... being part of your harem has become my third family. I've done my best for the previous families I was a part of, but I did not exactly bring them luck. If you wish to sell me, I understand."

...didn't she want to be with Valentine? Far be it from me to interfere in her stratagem and life again, though, and I tried to not think and keep my expression placid.

Princess Asperia studied her. "How do you feel about Eve?" Ah, and now we came to the dangerous part.

"Naturally I saddened by her actions. But can I be a loyal subject or sister and take away your most powerful tool in your time of need?"" responded Wren. "Or harm the heir to the throne's fiance? No." She raised her eyes to look up at Princess Asperia. "You were the one who told her to kill my second family, were you not?"

Princess Asperia nodded. "I would apologize to you if it was at all proper to do so to a subject and slave. I can say my information was behind, and I was not aware you had joined it."

"...would it have changed anything if you had, my princess?"

Princess Asperia sighed softly. "It is doubtful if I would have... you joined a family that was siding against me. But... since you came here, I did acknowledge you as mine." She beckoned Wren closer, and stroked her cheek and the top of her head, staring down into her eyes with a mixture of possessiveness and affection and sadness. "You guarded my Sasha here very bravely."

Our Princess slowly withdrew her hand from Wren's head. "Now. You have a choice to make. Are you going to serve the rest of your life, despite how cruelly my fiancee treated you? I promise as long as you're loyal to me and mine, I'll take good care of you. If not, I can sell you to someone who would take good care of you. I can even have you smuggled out of the country, if you would prefer."

"I..." Wren was silent for a long moment, and then took Princess Asperia's head and pressed her forehead against it. "Please let me be yours, O Princess. Please use every part of me however you wish. I've always respected you, and I do not think I could handle it if my third family dissolved and died without me even raising a hand a third time. Sasha has been a more true and loyal sister to me than the rest of my family, blood or not... I do not wish my cowardice to repeat itself."

Princess Asperia scritched behind Wren's fluffy fox ear ear softly. "You must stop acting like a noble again, you know. Well... I don't mind it when we're alone."

Wren licked the Princess's hand before releasing it, and stared up at her pleadingly. "Please, Princess. Make me yours."

Our Princess stroked her cheeks and looked over to me, then smiled down at her. "I need to talk to Sasha alone for a moment... and then I'll make you mine."

"Yes, Princess!" Wren's tail wagged behind her as she rubbed her cheeks into Princess's hand, and then she stood up and walked away, not turning her back on Princess in what I at first assumed was paranoia, but then I realized given her posture was probably a show of respect.

The door closed behind her, and Princess looked over to me, and beckoned me closer, and my tail wagged as I approached her, heart grateful, and kneeled down in front of her, and she lavished my face and head in pets and it felt so good and my tail wagged more as I looked up at her. I had been so worried, but...

"Now, puppy. Do you need something to make you tell the whole truth?"

I opened my mouth, paused, closed it. The moment of hesitation had proved I was hiding something, even if nothing else did. I looked down, and my ears and shoulders and tail slumped.

She stood up, ruffling my hair. "Don't worry. I did promise to make her mine. I just need to know what I'm dealing with." I turned my head to watch as she walked over to her pile of treasure, and pulled what looked to be a faceted, polished bottle carved out of glass or diamond or something, filled with a purple liquid. She opened it, put a single drop on her finger, and closed the bottle again, dropping it back into the pile carelessly -- so I guess not glass -- before she walked over to me and held her hand out, finger before my lips.

The single purple drop of liquid on her fingertip made me hesitate as I saw it. Inside, it somehow looked crystalline and faceted, but with angles that didn't make sense inside it, giving me the impression of a gem beyond mortal knowing.

"Lick." Her command was gentle, but firm.

I slowly slid out my tongue as I looked up to her, seeing the affection in her eyes along with the sadness.

She had killed those she cared about before. She would probably do so again. But I could hardly resist her without fully admitting my guilt regardless.

I licked.