Eight months prior

Four days was all it had taken to be discovered. Luna hadn't even wanted this position in the first place. She was adept with magic, and one of the few recruits with her own channeling glove (a beautiful white, trimmed with gold). This unfortunately made her one of the best candidates to infiltrate the Empress’ castle as a spy, collect information on troop movements, supply caravans, or anything else she could manage to find. She reluctantly agreed to the plan at Vivian’s urging. “You’ll be perfect for this! I know you've never done anything quite like this before, but you're crafty and you're smart. And, frankly, we need that right now.” She remembered the feeling of that strong hand on her shoulder, Vivian’s smile that made her feel like she really could handle it.

She hated her for it. Four days. She managed to send out one report before being discovered. She was brought before Empress Emilia. She remembered thinking about how beautiful she was. She remembered the aura she gave off. She remembered the feeling of magic around her, devastatingly potent. And she remembered how afraid she was, knowing that she was about to die.

But the Empress took a liking to her immediately. That was almost worse. Emilia told her men to take Luna down to “her private room”. It wasn't marked on any map the rebellion had, buried at least two levels deep under Emilia's private chambers. The room was brightly lit, the walls hidden by red curtains. She was escorted to the middle of the room, where there were a pair of cuffs chained to the floor and a pair of wrist cuffs chained to the ceiling. The Empress’ soldiers stripped her before locking her into the bindings. They left her there for what felt like quite some time before the Empress arrived.

“You must be wondering what this is.” The voice finally came from behind her, but she couldn't turn around to see. Bare fingers touched her back and she struggled to try and pull away. “Don't bother. You aren't going anywhere. I've decided that I want you dear, and I always get what I want.”

A shiver went down her spine. The Empress sounded so confident. “How… Wh– what are you planning on doing to me?” her voice wavered. How could it all have gone so bad this quickly? She wished she could go back and refuse the assignment. She’d only joined the rebellion because her brother had. She didn’t want him to be alone. So stupid to think I could help.

“I'm going to reshape you. I'm going to make you exactly what I want you to be. You're going to tell me everything you know about your silly little rebellion, and you're going to enjoy every second of it.”

“I– I don't know anything. You're wasting your time,” she said, looking at the ground. She technically wasn't lying. She hadn't even been with the rebellion that long. They’d only come to her little village six weeks ago.

“Is that so?” She could hear the smile in the Empress’ voice. “They sent me a spy who knows nothing? Are you sure that's the story you're going with?” Luna heard the door open again, and Emilia's footsteps echoed in that direction. She heard the Empress laugh softly. “A spy who knows nothing, who has a channeling glove in her possession? Though I suppose it’s a point in your favor knowing that you lasted all of a week before being caught.” Emilia had a box with her possessions in it, setting it on a table in front of her. She started sorting through the items, laying them out.

“I – well, it's not… I stole that glove from one of your people,” Luna lied. “But I haven’t been in the rebellion very long. There’s nothing I could tell you that you don’t already know!” She was crying quietly now.

Emilia looked at the girl, rolled her eyes, and then went back to digging through her belongings. She picked up a notepad and leafed through it. “So, you gave yourself the name Selene here?” She didn't bother to look at her captive.

“Yes, but it's not my real name. I'm–”

“Save your breath. I don't care what your “real” name is. Your name is now whatever I want it to be.” Emilia tossed the notepad onto the table. “Though I do like this one. Your name is Selene now.” She took Luna's channeling glove and slipped it on, then finally turned to her. She brushed Luna’s cheek with her gloved hand. Immediately, Luna felt the magic pouring into her. It was incredible.

Luna’s eyes rolled back while she moaned. She was expecting pain, not pleasure. Emilia pulled the glove away, breaking the contact between them. Luna took deep breaths, mouth agape. She was suddenly aware of how naked she was, and how obvious her arousal was going to be. She cursed under her breath. I can resist this. Now that I know what she's doing… I don't have a channeling glove, but I can still use magic to brace myself.

“Are you still sure you don't know anything, dear? I can give you so much more than that if you change your tune.”

Luna thought about the others. There was so little she could even tell the Empress. Maybe where the rebels were now, but Amber and Vivian always decided where they were headed next, and they didn't tell anyone until the move was imminent– presumably for this exact reason. “I'm sure! I didn't even want to be here!”

Emilia raised her eyebrows. “You sound like you mean that. Why are you here, then?”

“I…” Luna immediately regretted speaking. “No. I won't talk.”

“If you insist, Selene.” She grinned. “I'll get whatever you're hiding out of you soon enough.”

***

They had Luna continue writing her reports back to the rebellion, telling her exactly what to say. She thought about trying to get a message out with the report a few times, but they always made sure to check everything she put in her drops. She was kept in one of the unused guest rooms on the western side of the castle.

The first week, Luna was able to endure the Empress’ touch. She’d put up the mildest of defenses with her own magic training, but the Empress was just naturally so much stronger than her. Luna could swear that Emilia didn’t even need a channeling glove to practice magic. It was as if she had an aura of it around her constantly. The air was thick with it whenever Emilia was near.

The second week, Luna began to crack. She told the Empress what she knew about the camp location, which she admitted was not much. Selene confessed her resentment towards Vivian and Amber, for making her believe this would be a good idea. Emilia latched onto this immediately, using it to unravel her.

The third week, Selene was wrapped around the Empress’ finger, the promise of an eventual revenge too great for her to resist. The Empress had found the domineering side of Selene and pulled it free. The magic was fascinating to her, unlike anything she’d ever seen. To create another persona within someone just by tugging on their hidden desires long enough… It seemed like something greater than just pure magic. Whatever it was, it left Selene wondering if she’d always had this side to her, or if it was something Emilia had planted within her. She supposed it didn’t much matter; it was a part of who she was now.

Selene began to plan with the Empress just how they would capture Vivian. Emilia wished to rob the rebellion of its leader. Selene wished to humiliate the woman who sent her to her own humiliating defeat. She realized she had learned a few of Vivian’s habits in her time at the camp: Primarily, how much she loved to have her hair played with. She swore that every time the two of them had a free moment, Amber was brushing or braiding Vivian’s hair. Amber clearly loved it as well. Selene also knew how proud the rebellion’s leader was, and convinced Emilia to deliver the challenge. She knew the woman would be fool enough to accept it, and further, she knew that Vivian wasn’t particularly adept at detecting magic. If they were stealthy about it, they’d be able to enchant her without her ever knowing.

And now, seven months after Selene had been enthralled by the Empress herself, she was finally helping to enthrall Garnet. Emilia had suppressed Vivian’s few memories of Luna the day she arrived to make it easier for Selene to assist with her brainwashing. It was better than she could have ever imagined. The only thing better was knowing that she had pleased her Empress.

***

Garnet sat in the large bath, a dreamy smile on her face. Selene was behind her, lathering her hair with some kind of shampoo. It smelled faintly like coconut, and every time she inhaled the scent Garnet’s eyelids drooped. She leaned back into Selene and let every muscle in her body relax. It felt so nice to let someone else take care of her.

“You can relax, Garnet, but don’t fall asleep. We’re almost done here, and we still have more preparation to do today for your partner to arrive. You want to look your best, don’t you?” Selene rinsed her own hands in the water. “Lean back, I need to wash this out now.”

Garnet complied. “Yes Selene,” she sighed, enjoying the pulse of pleasure she felt as she tilted her head back into the water. Selene had spent the last half an hour grooming her, scrubbing her clean and paying particular attention to treating her hair. “Thank you for all of this…”

Selene laughed, though Garnet couldn’t really tell why. “I suppose you’re welcome, Garnet. It’s truly been my pleasure.” She finished rinsing Garnet’s long red hair and sat her back up. “Tell me something… Your Mistress told you that you’d have a chance to try and convince Amber to join us. What will you do if she doesn’t?”

The thought hadn’t yet crossed Garnet’s mind. Why wouldn’t someone want to join Mistress Emilia? Sure, she had all of those old scary memories of trying to fight against her, but it was so foolish in hindsight. She hoped she could make Amber understand that. “I… I don’t want to think about that,” she said. “I just want to make her understand how much better life will be for us if she doesn’t fight.” She bit her lip as the next thought came to her mind. “I want to make her understand how good it feels to surrender to Mistress Emilia…” She knew she could. She knew all of the ways Amber loved to be touched. She could make her understand.

Selene took Garnet’s hand and stood, guiding her out of the water. She picked up her channeling glove and pulled it on, then placed her palm on Garnet’s chest. The glove was warm, and she felt the water evaporating off of her skin. “I’m sorry to make you think about something like this Garnet, but I want you to be prepared for that possibility. Amber will want to take you away from us, and I worry she may try and do so by force even after we extend our hospitality to her. As your Mistress’ sword, you must not allow her to take you from us.”

Garnet nodded immediately. “I would never. I don’t ever want to go back to the way I was,” she said, determination in her voice. “Mistress Emilia needs me. And… and I need her. I can’t be without her.”

“There’s a good girl.” Garnet shivered, stifling a moan. Selene laughed again. “Come on then. I’m not done with you yet.” The Empress’ attendant led her back through the door Emilia left through, which brought them to a series of hallways that Garnet had never seen. There was no one walking these halls. This must be for Mistress Emilia and her servants. She smiled at the thought; that meant Mistress Emilia trusted her enough to let her through here. She didn’t think about how she was still naked while she walked down the halls.

Garnet tried to keep track of exactly where they were, but it was hard to tell. She knew that this must be somewhere in the north part of the castle, where Mistress Emilia’s chambers and throne room were. It would make sense for that bathing chamber to be near her Mistress’ room. They walked down a hall farther to the north. Selene unlocked another one of those magic locks and ushered her into a room with an entire mirrored wall. The two walls next to it each had a series of wardrobes. The attendant gestured for Garnet to stand in the middle of the room, and she did so. Pleasure rippled through her chest.

“Now, Garnet, I’ve taken the liberty of preparing a few different outfits for you.” Selene walked up behind Garnet and draped a dress across the front of her. It was a wine red, had a very deep cut, as well as an incredibly short skirt. If she did anything aside from walking, she’d flash everyone looking at her. Though, even walking might not be safe… The thought was thrilling. “It seems you like this idea?” Garnet nodded enthusiastically. “Good. You love to be shown off, and that’s what we’ll do. But there are still a few more options.”

Her sheer blue dress was brought forward as well, though Garnet wasn’t as interested in it for this particular occasion. It was nice, but she wanted something she’d feel special in tonight.

There was a beautiful green dress that would cover her completely, but the fabric was completely see through at the chest. It sparkled in the light, shining in the mirror. When Selene brought it forward, Garnet gasped. Though the skirt went to her ankles, it was cut in such a way where the front panel was easily pulled aside, with slits all the way up to her waist. “Can I… Can we try this one?” She asked.

Selene helped her into it, taking her time to make sure it fit snugly against her. Every time she felt Selene’s hands on her she wanted to ask for more, but restrained herself. Selene wouldn’t appreciate her desperation when she was working so hard to make sure that she was presentable for Amber. Even so, she was sure she felt the woman’s hands lingering on the sensitive areas of her body longer than was strictly necessary. She also offered Garnet nothing in the way of underclothes, but Garnet didn’t mind. She needed to be easy for her Mistress to play with.

“Now sit. Once I’m done with your hair, we’ll have you wait for Amber. She’ll be so thrilled to see you looking so beautiful for her.” Garnet beamed at Selene in the mirror. She sat herself on a stool and waited to feel the familiar sensation of Selene’s brush in her hair. When it came, she felt herself drifting away immediately. “Good girl, Garnet. No more thinking.” Her heavy eyes closed, and she gave herself over to Selene completely.

***

If she was being truthful, Amber didn’t much like the dark. The unknown scared her, and though she was still with the others who belonged to the distraction team, she couldn’t help but feel like it was darker than it should have been. It wasn’t just a new moon; there were dark rain clouds overhead blocking any light from the stars. She used a spell to help her see in the forest, but it was still intimidating.

After what felt like an hour, they finally arrived at the point where Amber was meant to break off. She signaled to the others to go on and provide the distraction. They needed to move quickly in case it did start raining. That would put a significant damper on their plan. She waited in the shadows of the trees. I don’t like any of this. But it’s not like anything is wrong… The day had mostly been spent in preparation, with Amber doing one last round of tests to see if she could manage the invisibility on herself and one other. After she proved to herself that she could, she’d completely removed her glove. She needed to save her strength, especially if something went wrong. She knew that the Empress was a powerful mage, and the last thing she wanted to do was get into a confrontation without having the ability to fight back.

Ten minutes went by, and she didn’t see any fire. She sighed. Please don’t let them get caught. Please don’t let any of them get into trouble. She’d brought four people with her, the fewest she could. There was a cold wind blowing, and she pulled Vivian’s cloak tightly around her. She’d initially thought about bringing it to give to Vivian again, but it was comforting to wear. It still smelled like her.

Another ten minutes later, she saw smoke. Another three minutes, there was the sound of a number of people rushing towards the building fire. That was her cue. She took a deep breath, let it out, and disappeared. She snuck through the main gates as soldiers exited to get a look at the blaze, buckets of water in hand. She weaved through the various buildings that were inside the castle walls, making her way to the western wing of the castle. The guest rooms. Please let her be there. Please let her be there.

There were still a number of soldiers roaming around the area. She counted the doors lining the wall and made her way to Vivian’s. As the guard turned their back, she ducked inside. As soon as the door closed, she dropped her invisibility. “Vivian?” She whispered as loud as she could, looking around the room. It seemed to be empty. She made her way to the bed, pulling the covers back. There were stray strands of red hair in the blankets and on the pillows. Amber furrowed her brow. She was definitely in the right place, and it seemed like Vivian must have been here for at least a few days. She walked over and opened the wardrobe, looking at the dresses inside with a raised eyebrow. “What in the world is this?” She asked aloud. There was a brush lying on the vanity with more of Vivian’s hair tangled in it.

“You’re in the right place, Amber.” A voice came from the doorway, and as she turned to face it, she saw a woman fade back into reality. “I’ve been waiting for you! My name is Selene.”

Amber started backing herself up against the wardrobe. She held her gloved hand out defensively. “What have you done with Vivian?”

“We haven’t done anything she didn’t want. I can take you to see her, if you’d like.” Selene smiled. “Please, we’ve been expecting you all day. She’s very excited to see you.”

Something about this Selene woman was familiar, but Amber couldn’t quite place it. But the words she spoke… “What do you mean, you’ve been expecting me? How could you have possibly been waiting for me?” Her mind was racing. Had someone talked? There was no way that Brynn would sell her out. It must have been one of the distraction team, but… They’d been watched. None of them sent out any messages as far as she knew, and they were already some of Vivian’s most trusted. This didn’t make any sense.

“That’s not for me to tell you. Just know that I’m not here to hurt you, as long as you follow me. Give me your channeling glove and I’ll take you to your partner.” Selene held out her bare hand.

Amber’s mind was racing. She wasn’t in a position to bargain at this point, and after holding her invisibility all the way into the room she was starting to feel fatigued. Was this part of their plan too? Did they put all of this together expecting that I'd try and rescue Vivian? She couldn’t think about it. The implications were too much for her to bear. She slid a finger into her glove and peeled it off, placing it in Selene’s outstretched hand. “Please, just… Let me see Vivian. Please.”

“Of course.” She closed her hand around the glove and opened the door behind her. “If you’ll just follow me, we have dinner being prepared. We don’t want to keep the Empress waiting.” She looked at Amber with a smile, and gestured to the open door. “And again, please don’t try anything. This doesn’t have to turn violent.”

Amber gritted her teeth and walked outside. She looked towards the eastern side of the castle, as far as she could see. If there had been a fire in the forest outside of the walls, it seemed to have died down quickly. There was a bit of smoke rising into the air, but not nearly as much as she would have hoped. She started down the passageway Selene pointed to. “How did you know?” Selene didn’t answer.

The walk wasn’t particularly long. Dread was building inside Amber with every step. The anxiety of not knowing what they’d done with Vivian was making it worse. The north section of the castle halls were well decorated, featuring various portraits and tapestries on the walls. She couldn’t help but stare at them. It demonstrated a level of wealth that she had never been accustomed to. She and Vivian had been living on the road together for years now, and any money they had earned went right back into the rebellion. On occasion they might buy something for themselves, but those times were few and far between.

The hall they were in now was brightly lit, torches lining the walls. There was a pair of double doors at the end of the hall, a pair of soldiers standing in front of them. They glared at Amber, but Selene stepped forward and nodded at them. They pulled the doors open for the two of them at the same time, and Selene nodded to Amber. She walked through the door and looked around. There was a long table, easily seating at least two dozen, with an elaborately decorated chair- no, throne was more appropriate- at the head of it. The doors closed behind them, and Amber thought she heard a lock turn. Why is there a lock on that door? There was a door near the throne, and she noted another to the left of the main entrance, presumably leading into a kitchen.

No one else was in the dining room, however. “May I take your cloak? It might be a bit warm for that in here.”

Amber hugged the cloak close to her again. “No, you may not. What you can do is tell me what’s going on here!” She narrowed her eyes at Selene.

Selene sighed. “I was under the impression that you were supposed to be cleverer than Vivian, and yet… You still haven’t figured anything out yet, have you?” Selene walked to the end of the table, stopping at the chair next to the throne, closest to the far door. “You’ll wait here, in this chair.”

“And if I refuse?” She crossed her arms. “I have no interest in eating with you, or with Emilia for that matter. You told me I’d get to see Vivian, and-” She stopped, interrupted by a sudden thought. What does she mean, figured anything out…?

“Wait… Wait. Luna?” She hadn’t recognized the girl. It had been months, nearly a year, since they last saw her, because not long after joining they had assigned her to- to be a spy! Amber started walking backwards until her back was against the double doors.

Selene just smiled. “There you go, Amber. Doesn’t this make much more sense now?”

Amber tried the door handles, never taking her eyes off of Selene, but they didn’t budge. “What did they do to you? Your reports have…” Her stomach turned. “How long? Oh my gods, Luna, how long?” She was sweating, eyes scanning the room for anything she could use to help her get out. Her mouth had gone dry. She needed to find Vivian and escape. How could we not have known?

Selene was slowly approaching, taking her time with the prey she’d backed into the corner. “How long? You sent a girl with no formal espionage training to spy on Emilia just because she knew how to use magic. I only ever sent one report that wasn’t doctored, Amber. I was caught immediately after I made my first drop.” Selene never stopped smiling while she approached her. Despite being the same height, Selene seemed to loom over her. She put her gloved hand against Amber’s cheek. “Every single one since then has been guiding you towards this moment.”

Amber’s heart sank. “Luna, please, this can’t… You can’t do this!”

Selene’s eyes were fiery. “I asked you not to send me, Amber. These are the consequences of your actions, not mine!”

“I... I’m so sorry. I didn’t-” She stopped, completely deflated. “I truly thought you would be okay.” Her voice was weak. It made too much sense now. Of course Luna was waiting for her here. Of course they only ever had minor victories using the information they’d been receiving. They never questioned it before there was no reason to question it. Every victory they’d gotten out of those reports was one more than they’d been winning otherwise.

Selene’s hand moved from Amber’s cheek to her shoulder, under the cloak. “Take this off, and go sit where I told you to. The Empress will be here soon.” Amber shrugged the cloak off and handed it to the other woman. Selene waited to watch Amber take a seat. When she did, the former spy left through what she’d thought was the kitchen door. The moment she left, Amber broke into tears.

That woman looked like Luna, but I don’t remember her being anywhere near that confident. What has Emilia been doing here? Amber wiped her eyes after a few moments and tried to regain her composure. She’s been here a long time. Nearly a year. Vivian has only been here for twelve days. Even if they’ve been doing something to her, it’s very possible that they need more time with her to make it… she didn’t complete the thought. But if that was the case, would they even allow me to see her? Eventually, a servant emerged from the door Selene had left through, carrying a platter with a few different cups on it. They placed two at each of the two seats across from Amber, and another two in front of the throne. They gave two to her last, and she saw that one was filled with water, and the other with what seemed like wine. She briefly considered drinking that entire goblet now, before deciding against it. I don’t even know if the water is safe, let alone whatever this other drink is.

“We haven’t done anything to them, if that’s what you’re wondering.” Amber jumped at the sudden voice from behind her. Emilia was a few steps away from the door already. I didn’t even hear her come in! She stared up at the tall black haired woman. She was wearing a gorgeous black dress that clung to every one of her curves, extending down towards her calves. Her curly hair covered her right eye, but she could see the left, red and bright. She was wearing a pair of matching black gloves that went up over her elbows, though Amber didn’t think they were for channeling, which was strange; with every step the Empress took towards the throne, Amber felt the overwhelming presence of magic in the air. “Please, take a drink. I can personally assure you that it’s safe.”

Amber looked at the goblet in front of her, and then back at Emilia. She nudged it towards the Empress. “You first.”

Emilia immediately picked it up and took a sip, making a display of swallowing the wine. “Satisfied?”

Amber glared at her, but took the goblet back and took a sip of her own. It tasted good, and it made her realize just how thirsty she was after having been out in the woods for the last few hours. “Where is Vivian?”

The Empress laughed, picking up her own goblet. “My goodness, so impatient. You waited twelve days to rescue her, what’s another half hour?”

“We were waiting for the right moment to strike!” Amber seethed. How dare she treat her like this. There wasn’t even a hint of Emilia treating her as any kind of threat. Maybe I’m not.

“I’m not criticizing. I certainly understand the circumstances. I don’t think I would have done the same, but you don’t have the same…” Emilia trailed off, searching for a word. “Resources, let’s say, as my army does.” The Empress smiled at Amber again. “Now, that said, I may have been lying. I won’t make you wait that long to see her. I just wanted to warn you that things have changed over the last two weeks.”

Amber swallowed, trying and failing not to let the horror she was feeling show on her face. “What did you do to her?” she choked, the words barely making it out of her throat. She needed Vivian to be okay. She needed her. She gripped the table to keep her hands from trembling. “Please, I can’t take all of these cryptic answers from you and Se- From you and Luna. I need to know.”

“The cat’s out of the bag then, hm?” The Empress leaned back in her chair, resting a cheek in her hand. “She was so excited for you to figure it out, you know. You sent me the best gift I’ve received in years. Two, in fact!” Emilia took another sip of her wine. “But you’re right, it's cruel of me to leave you waiting.” She raised her voice: “Garnet, dear, you can come in now.”

Amber barely had time to register that the Empress hadn’t said Vivian before hearing the servant’s door open on the other side of the room. Sure enough, Vivian was there, beaming at her as she walked into the room. She was breathtaking. Her hair was in two braids rather than her normal single braid, and she was wearing a beautiful green gown. Amber couldn’t remember ever seeing Vivian in a dress before, but in this moment it suited her perfectly. She was also wearing a pair of long green gloves, but they absolutely weren’t for magic; Amber knew that Vivian didn’t know any.

But with every step, something new seemed wrong. She was beautiful in the dress, sure, but why were there slits from the ankle all the way up beyond the hip? Vivian was never one to show off her body like that, and… As she approached, Amber couldn’t help but stare as she realized that the top was see-through. Her breasts were completely visible through the material. And her blue eyes- How could they be different now? Why were her eyes pink? Amber turned to look at the Empress. “What do you mean, ‘Garnet’? I thought you said I was going to talk to Vivian-”

“Please don’t call me that!”

Vivian’s voice. Amber turned to look at Vivian, who was now standing right next to her chair. The girl with pink eyes took Amber’s hand into her own. This can’t be. This can’t be her. This cannot be Vivian. “Wh– what do you mean, don’t call you that? That’s your name, Vivian!” She tried not to stare at her lover’s chest, focused on her face no matter how awful seeing those eyes made her feel.

‘Vivian’ took her hand back. “Amber, please… I don’t like being called that anymore.” She had a pleading look on her face.

It wasn’t something Amber had seen from Vivian before. It made her stop. She reached for Vivian’s arm before she could pull all the way away. “Okay. I’m sorry… Wh– what’s going on here? What’s happened to you?” She gripped her partner’s arm. “This…” she gestured to her outfit, “this isn’t really like you, you know?”

‘Vivian’ tilted her head, clearly confused. “What do you mean? Of course this is like me!” She leaned forward suddenly and kissed Amber before quickly walking to the other side of the table, sitting across from her.

“She prefers to be called Garnet now. That other name you insist on using is a discarded relic. It hurts her to hear it.” Emilia pushed ‘Vivian's goblet of wine toward her. “Drink up, dear.” ‘Vivian’ drank from the cup immediately. Emilia looked back at Amber, lips curled into a smile. “She’s taken quite the shine to me since she’s been here. I hope you understand that I can’t allow her to leave with you, should you choose to leave.”

Amber put her hand to her lips while Emilia spoke. That had definitely been Vivian. The feeling of her calloused hands was unmistakable, or her soft lips, and she had the same scar on her right cheek. It was her Vivian. Or, it had been her Vivian. “What have you done to her?” she hissed, glaring at the Empress. She felt the anger rising in her chest, and she stood. “What have you done with my Vivian!?” She pushed the chair away from behind her and leapt forward to strike Emilia.

Garnet was on her in a flash. Amber could have sworn she was still finishing the contents of her goblet. Now, she was between her and Emilia, her strong hands locked around each of Amber’s wrists. “Do not try to hurt Mistress Emilia! She’s…” Garnet swallowed, anxiety building about admitting this to her lover. She forced Amber’s hands to her sides. “She’s right. I won’t leave her. I’m hers now.”

Amber looked at the dress Vivian was wearing again. It was unlike anything Amber had really ever seen her wear. Vivian was never the type for dresses. She didn’t like drawing that kind of attention to herself. She preferred pants and a buttoned shirt, but never open. It wasn’t like her to put herself on display like this. As if reading her mind, Vivian spoke: “Oh, do you like it? I keep seeing you stare at me, but you haven’t said anything about how I look!”

“I…” Amber stopped trying to resist. Vivian was so much stronger than she was. It wasn’t a fair fight. “You do look beautiful, yes,” she said, taking a deep breath. Being this close, she could smell Vivian’s shampoo, with a faint scent of coconut. She started to relax. “I won’t try to hurt her. But please, Vi- Garnet,” she whispered, trying to keep the Empress from hearing her. “We need to try and escape. I don’t know what she’s done to you, but we can fix it. We’ll find someone who knows how to make you better, I swear, but you need to help me break out of–”

Garnet’s grip on Amber’s wrists tightened, and she didn’t bother lowering her voice. “I just told you, Amber, I’m hers. I’m not leaving!” She frowned at her lover. “Selene said you’d try and do this… I didn’t want her to be right. Amber, you should stay here with me! Mistress Emilia said that you could join us, and that you could stay, and–”

“We are not staying here!” Amber cried, ripping her wrists out of Garnet’s hands. Tears were welling up in her eyes. “What is wrong with you Vivian?! Snap out of it!”

Garnet’s breath began to quicken, and her eyes were becoming glassy. She put her hands against Amber’s cheeks and pulled her into a kiss. Her tongue parted Amber’s lips, and Amber tasted the wine that Garnet had been drinking before she came to the Empress’ defense. It was sweeter than the drink that was in Amber’s goblet, though she wasn’t sure if that was just due to it being from Vivian’s mouth. She didn't try to break away. Their tongues met, and Amber couldn’t help but moan. Her mouth was tingling more as the kiss went on. Garnet began to lower the both of them to the ground, one of her hands moving from Amber’s face to her back. Garnet never stopped kissing her, setting her lover onto the rug. The hand behind Amber then started making its way up to her shoulder, a finger tracing her collar bone, before it came to rest on Amber’s breast. She finally broke the kiss and squeezed. “I’ve missed you so much, Amber. I want you to join me!” she whined. “We don’t have to fight anymore! We can just be together now, if you’d just listen to Mistress Emilia!”

Amber felt her cheeks growing bright red. She didn’t know why this kiss had hit her so hard, but her skin was buzzing with desire. She looked up into Garnet’s pink eyes and frowned. “Vivi-” Vivian pouted at her. “Garnet. You are the leader of the rebellion against the Empress. You don’t belong to anyone, and you especially do not belong to her. She’s not your Mistress!”

Garnet felt Amber trying to wiggle out from under her. She straddled her partner’s hips and leaned forward, pinning both of her arms to the ground with her hands. Garnet’s chest was right in front of Amber’s face, and Garnet felt her staring. It felt wonderful. “Yes she is! She made me realize that everything I was doing to try and oppose her before is wrong. It feels so much better to let her win, Amber.” Garnet leaned down and kissed Amber’s collar bone, eliciting a gasp from the girl beneath her. She smiled and kissed her again, and again, and on her neck, nibbling.

Amber’s upper body stayed perfectly still, but she felt her hips bucking, suddenly realizing just how hard she was. Her mind was ablaze, and it felt good to let Garnet keep her pinned to the floor.

“What did… Why am I…” Amber groaned. Garnet had felt Amber’s hips grinding against her and began to roll hers in response. Amber could feel the wetness staining her pants from Garnet’s bare pussy pressed up against them. “Garnet, I– Not here! Please, I–” She moaned as one of Garnet’s hands reached into her waistband and found her cock.

“We can do this all the time if you join us. Mistress Emilia makes it feel extra good.” Garnet pressed her palm against the underside of Amber’s cock, gently rubbing it. Garnet looked flushed, and she was sweating. Her eyes were crazed, completely focused on Amber.

Amber groaned, feeling heat wash over her. Where was this coming from? She closed her eyes, trying not to think about her lover on top of her. It didn't work. The sweet taste of Garnet’s kiss was still in her mouth. They… She didn’t drug me. She drugged Ga- Vivian! She tried to push Vivian off with the one free hand she had, squirming under the stronger girl. It got her nowhere. Vivian had managed to pull Amber’s pants down to her knees with one hand, and was now guiding her cock towards Vivian’s cunt. “Viv- Garnet, stop! Please. Garne– oh fuck,” she moaned, feeling herself slip inside of her lover. “Oh fuck, Garnet, what did they dose you w– oh, gods!” She could hardly string a sentence together. Whatever was in Vivian's drink was working very quickly, lighting her body on fire. Her eyes opened again, and she couldn't stop her free hand from reaching for Vivian's breast.

“Dose me?” She rode Amber’s cock, her cunt squeezing her tight. “I don’t know what that means… Please tell me you’re listening to me, Amber! I want to be with you every single day, but you have to stay here with us. You’ll learn to love it just as much as I do!” She didn't slow her pace even for a second. “It’s going to feel so good to cum. You’re going to understand why I want to stay here so bad, I promise! Mistress Emilia’s magic feels so good.”

Amber was completely overwhelmed. Both of Garnet’s hands were on her tits, and she leaned down again to kiss her. Amber couldn’t stop herself, letting Garnet ravage her mouth. It felt so good whenever she did that, tasting whatever it was that the Empress had given her. “But… Garnet, I– oh fuck, Garnet, I’m–” She couldn't stop. It felt too good. She needed to cum.

She tried to fight against the feelings inside of her. She was sweating, her skin was so sensitive, but Garnet never let her take a moment to breathe. If they weren't kissing, Garnet’s mouth was on her chest or neck, driving her up the wall. She needed her. She needed her partner. She'd missed her so badly. Vivian opened Amber's shirt. Amber didn't want to leave her again. She wanted to let Vivian (Garnet!, came a thought) have her way with her over and over. What is happening to me right now?! She couldn't control herself. Garnet's mouth found Amber's nipple and Amber howled.

Her hips slammed up against Garnet’s as she came, pumping into Garnet’s perfect cunt, her eyes rolling back into her head. She couldn't stop herself from crying out again. Garnet was right about one thing– It felt really, really good. Too good. Addictive, even. It didn’t take long for Amber to feel Garnet spasming in orgasm on top of her. The redhead collapsed on top of Amber, who made no effort to move. Garnet didn’t let Amber’s cock out of her, and she kissed Amber’s neck. Amber stared up at the ceiling, listening to Vivian whisper “I missed you, I missed you,” in her ear again and again.

“That was a beautiful little reunion, but Garnet, you must learn how to control yourself. You can’t just go pouncing on all of the would-be attackers I have like that.” She snapped her fingers, and Garnet crawled next to the throne. Emilia began to pet Garnet as she kneeled next to her. “And you, Amber… I would never have guessed you had this in you. You're just as bad as my crown jewel is.” Amber rolled over to look at the throne, seeing Emilia's hand in Garnet's hair. “Please, pull yourself together. We still have plenty to talk about, and dinner should be ready soon.”