Jahaliya Ch. 04

This is a short work of erotic fiction containing furry, or anthropomorphic, characters, which are animals that either demonstrate human intelligence or walk on two legs, for the purposes of these tales. It is a thriving and growing fandom in which creators are prevalent in art and writing especially.

*****

Homecoming

"They're here!"

"Are you ready yet? We've got to go!"

"I can't find my harness!"

"Hurry!"

Sylvia sighed deeply, rubbing her temples in slow, soothing circles; the girls' excitement over Ryoga's timely return had them in a disorganised whirlwind and had rapidly transformed her private chamber into a war zone. If any war zone could be said to encompass such fine leather and ribbon harnesses with convenient sheaths for decorative yet deadly weapons included as a standard feature, that is. Robin in particular was a bundle of tightly strung energy, darting about the room in her eagerness to assist the rest of the harem although, in her trembling paws, the harem would have been better suited to decline her offers as the wolfess proved more of a hindrance than a help, if an endearing hindrance.

With mere minutes to spare, Sylvia ushered them down at a half-run to the landing strip where Ryoga would be disembarking and the lioness felt a quiver of pride as the crowd parted respectfully to allow them through to stand in prime position: they had earned their place well. The crowd bustled and jostled each other, every fur craning their necks at near impossible angles to see the lavishly decorated airship appear on the horizon in a burst of crimson and gold; every citizen leaped from the ground and cheered until they were hoarse at the solid knowledge that their prince was being safely returned to them somewhere in the belly of the ship. At the edge of the strip of firm, bare ground, edged with bright, multi-coloured flags, Sylvia caught her breath, realising the importance of their position in the public eye - not just the eye of those within the palace anymore. Beside Ryoga's parents, John and, of course, Lydra, they would be the first to greet him when he set foot on land once more. It was both a daunting and warming thought that encouraged Sylvia to stand to attention, bidding that the harem did the same, poised to both display their toned bodies and lethal prowess, paws ready to draw weapons if any threat showed itself.

"Nervous?" Lydra mouthed to John as the airship set down with a gentle sigh. The mouse shook his head vehemently no, a wide grin upon his muzzle.

"Never!"

Ryoga stepped gracefully down from the airship seconds after it had alighted, the protests of his attendants and the work crew, who were not as quick to disembark, noticeable at his heels. Deafened by the jubilant roar of the crowd, he smiled genially, opening his arms in acceptance of the grand welcome he received, and was folded into the arms of the king and queen, his parents.

"Welcome home, son," they murmured, clasping him tightly to their chests before allowing him breath and looking proudly upon him, a slight glint shimmering at the corner of the Queen's eye. "We hear that you do not return alone. Your mission was successful, we trust?"

"Very successful," Ryoga answered cheerfully, already looking to greet his friends. "As you will see shortly... John! Lydra! How wonderful to see you again!"

"Likewise," Lydra replied warmly. "It is good to have you with us again."

Shaking John's paw so vigorously that the mouse's paw began to ache, Ryoga's eyes drifted to the harem, wondering how they had changed and who they had become in his absence. He knew from their expressions alone that their initiations were complete and that they had become the respected citizens of Jahaliya that they deserved to be. He was woefully unprepared for their disciplined composure, however, and formal standing, their toned muscles tensed as if to leap to his defence at a moment's notice. To the trained eye, it appeared that they were seasoned warriors of Jahaliya, even if the surprising truth was betrayed by their vibrancy and youthful features.

"So, my friends," he asked with one eyebrow comically raised. "Have you all become as slutty as you desired?"

"My Lord Ryoga," John answered swiftly for them with a wry smirk. "We have here a legion of lusty warrior sluts, bar our lovely lioness who is progressing admirably at her own pace, as she should. I am certain, however, that you will soon have a complete legion of slutty warriors standing here with a fierce matriarch at their head."

"More than that," Lydra added thoughtfully, scratching the back of her paw absently. "Not just the harem has been progressing while you have been away - someone here forgets himself. John's skills in managing the household are stronger than initially expected, for one untrained and inexperienced, and he has taken to his duties with exceptional aptitude, if I may be so bold. Why, he seems rather set to ensure that the palace is filled to the brim with lusty women for you to fuck in honour of the Goddess! It will surely become an unprecedented but joyous oasis of sensual delight in no time at all."

Nodding his approval with rapid bobs of his muzzle, Ryoga trailed his gaze over the harem, noting the differences in their individual and past stances and general demeanour; they were true warriors in every sense, having been liberated from their old habits. They felt his eyes upon them, even though their muzzles remained facing strictly forward as Sylvia had instructed them, maintaining the proper presentation, and shivered inwardly, some relaxing into the position more assertively than others. Natasha was especially comfortable with being appraised as a warrior, her confidence in her ability having progressed in leaps and bounds over the recent weeks. Robin and Nell, however, blinked noticeably, the very tips of their tails twitching as they strove to maintain their composure and avoid eyeing Ryoga's swelling arousal, as befitted a warrior on duty.

Duty before pleasure, after all.

"It seems like I'll have my work cut out with these lovely ladies," Ryoga commented at last with a wolfish grin. "Besides as my skilled warriors and dear friends."

Sighing deeply, Ryoga glances back over his shoulder at a sudden bustle of movement as others prepare to disembark the airship, the hint of a soft, feminine lilt reaching his sharply pricked ears.

"Although I dearly wish we could take our pleasure here, circumstances..." he looked back again, a minute frown creasing his forehead. "Circumstances dictate otherwise. Citizens of Jahaliya, I am pleased to present and welcome to you my beautiful wife, Princess Jasmine, and her attendant."

Descending the gangplank, the just announced Princess Jasmine softly padded with her slender muzzle bowed, her features concealed under a heavy veil with not a trace of fur, other than her paws, showing under the hem of a thick, dark grey gown. Although the watching furs could tell that she was certainly a canine, her exact species could not be discerned by a casual observer as she kept her head demurely lowered, as if she did not wish to attract attention. Her attendant was similarly attired, but in lighter and brighter clothing, a patterned headscarf about her head and a matching band covering her eyes; it was with a sharp intake of breath that the attentive Sylvia realised that she was blind. Perhaps she had been involved in an accident and the Princess could not bear to lose her as her attendant?

"Ladies and gentlefurs," Ryoga said formally. "I very much like you to meet Princess Jasmine. We have married as the result of a political understanding with the far off Kansine Kingdom, our friends with whom we have established a profitable and beneficial political and trade agreement," he paused to let the cheers rouse and quiet, which were both in welcome to his new wife and in celebration of the successful alliance.

"Welcome to Jahaliya, Princess," Sylvia greeted her warmly, her gaze tracing over her strange clothing. "We are sure that you will find living here most pleasurable and comfortable at the palace."

"I am sure," she said loftily, seeming to have some difficulty in looking directly at Sylvia or, if the lioness was honest in her observations, any of the furs other than Ryoga and her assistant.

"Jasmine?" Ryoga called her attention gently back to him. "These fine warriors serve as my personal bodyguard-harem," he said quickly, the words coming out in a rush as if he was trying to conceal yet not conceal something; behind the veil, the canine's eyes narrowed into sharp slits.

"Harem? I suppose that is to be expected... Good day," she said stiffly, her back ramrod straight. "I am certain that you do a fine job of serving my lord Ryoga."

She shook her head at Ryoga, perplexed and disturbed at the sight of women so lewd and promiscuous, said to be doing work that surely belonged to a male fur, even in the strange and foreign country of Jahaliya. Why, though she would keep her thoughts to herself, that wolfess in particular looked especially displeased to see her, glaring up from under lidded eyes - she had some particular displeasure with Ryoga taking a wife. Jasmine looked away distastefully, thinking that perhaps she would bring some order to this ragged place in time.

"May I be excused, Prince Ryoga?" She said quietly, her voice barely above a murmur. "I am weary and would like to rest if there is nothing we must attend to."

"Of course," he smiled. "Please take all the time you need. The porters," he indicated some furs who rushed forward and stood at attention, "will assist you in unpacking."

She nodded pleasantly and bustled off with the porters, her assistant trailing a few steps behind, ears swivelling to detect where she should walk, although she was used to following her mistress and knew the delicate tread of her feet better than any other. Robin, who had indeed been struggling to maintain her disciplined composure, resisted the urge to shoot a dark glare directly at Ryoga. She had been so close to him and he comes back with this, this woman on his arm? Did he not care one iota for her?

Apparently not, in her mind.

"Prince Ryoga," Robin began coolly, her arms behind her back as she stood tall, ignoring Sylvia's concerned glance. "May I speak to you privately for a moment?"

"Of course, Robin," he answered with a characteristic, warm smile. "I also have something to discuss with you. Please - come with me."

Taking Robin tightly by the paw, he led her away from the crowd and the curious harem, entering the belly of the airship where they would not be disturbed for some time. Opening the door to a room close to the entrance that could have been intended for the crew on board the airship, he beckoned her inside, his eyes as bright and warm as they had been before. For a second, Robin doubted that she had in fact seen Princess Jasmine and that she had been announced as his wife, but her conviction was hardened by the fierce anger roiling in her stomach.

"So when did you plan to tell me that I was out of the picture?" Robin snapped the instant they were out of sight. Caught off guard, the wolf fought to gather himself and shook his head quickly, holding up his paws to placate the femfur.

"Out of the - Robin, no! Of course not, do not think such a thing," he said, offering a comforting paw upon her shoulder, which she shrugged off angrily. "No, my dear, this is a political marriage. I was bound to do it as prince of the realm, the alliance was vital to Jahaliya."

"Oh, of course," Robin growled, rolling her eyes dramatically. "And I suppose the fact that you've got a pretty canine all bundled up and ready to be unwrapped doesn't interest you in the slightest? You were more interested in me when I was restrained and inexperienced in your world! Maybe I should wear more layers of clothing - that seems to catch your interest!"

"Robin, you really are being quite absurd. That is not my -"

"Did your feelings for me mean nothing?" She cut across him demandingly, her eyes ablaze. "Was all that time worth nothing? Am I worth nothing to you?"

"Now that is what I wanted to talk to you about," Ryoga said quickly, grabbing Robin's paws firmly in his even she snorted, fighting to pull away. "Robin... I am sorry that I did not speak of any of this to you earlier as you, more than any other Jahaliyan, had the right to know before anyone else what my marriage intentions were. My mistake or diplomatic choice made, I may only speak of my intentions now..."

He paused, seeming to collect his courage while Robin looked on sceptically, her tail sweeping back and for in a nervous twitch.

"Robin, I want to marry you as my second wife," he said honestly, rubbing his thumbs soothingly over the backs of her suddenly limp paws. "I love you for who you are and I would never have it any other way. Jasmine is aware of my feelings for you and has accepted that I desire you as my second wife. The question that remains, however, my love, is...will you accept my proposal?"

"Accept your proposal..." She said slowly, mulling it over. "Accept your proposal to be second best, the second wife, the best I'll ever be. Second best."

Sensing his mistake a fatal few seconds too late, Ryoga tried to backtrack, tell her that it was not so, but the damage was already done. With tears welling up, she thrust him savagely away, sending him stumbling back with the force, the wolf distraught at the unforeseen turn his proposal had taken.

"I hate you!" She screeched through the tears, before turning on her heel and fleeing the airship, not caring who saw her streak past the crowd, which was still dispersing after the royal welcome.

Ryoga sighed, seeing the tip of her black tail whip around the corner and her frenzied footsteps fade from his hearing. Slumping down with his back to the wooden wall, Ryoga lowered his head to his paws, rubbing his temples in comforting circles, one paw brushing away a stray droplet of moisture from his cheek.

*

Sylvia ran a paw through her hair, her footsteps heavy though the day was barely half done, the harem sent to the bath chambers to refresh themselves before the inevitable wedding reception. Passing the doorway to the harem chambers, Sylvia hesitated, hearing some unusual, muffled noise from within; surely the harem had not disobeyed and returned to their chambers without the required preparation? Perhaps one of them had needed something for the baths, although a servant would have normally been sent to fetch the item, if needed. Curiously, she inched the door open, stopping dead when she saw Robin sprawled out on her bed, the fine sheets soaked around her muzzle from tears - the wolf was a mess.

"Robin?" Sylvia said, startled. "What's wrong?"

"Leave me alone," the wolfess mumbled, burying her face into a cushion.

Crossing the room, the lioness sat lightly upon the edge of the bed and rubbed Robin's bare back, soothing her sobs until they were barely a tired snuffle. Robin rolled over on to her back and stared up at the ceiling, wiping away stray tears from her cheeks, breathing deeply and slowly to calm herself, her breath catching in her throat.

"He hates me."

"What? Who does? You surely do not mean Ryoga?" Sylvia questioned, perplexed. "Did something happen when you spoke alone?"

"Sylvia he's gotten married!" She burst out. "How could you not see how that would affect me? We were practically a couple! Now all he wants to offer me is to be second at his side, his second wife. And like a fool I threw it back in his face," she finished bitterly.

The lioness sighed deeply and rolled her shoulders to relieve the built up tension. Already it seemed that their lives were becoming more and more twisted, their social status and those they associated with entwined with politics that she had sought to avoid, even in the school circuit that she had taught in her old world. In some circles, everything was nothing more than a power game, in which the ones at the top were never happy; she doubted that that was the case in the higher classes of Jahaliya, but her girls, especially Robin who was so closely involved, were easy prey to political games at such a young age.

She didn't want that for her girls.

"Robin, dear," she began carefully, putting her paw under the wolfess' muzzle to make her look up. "I understand where you're coming from but I also understand Ryoga's position. Quite simply, he is a Prince. Although he has a personal life, every part of his life has some political ties to it, whether he wants to or not. As a result of this, he has had no choice but to marry Princess Jasmine, who I believe the King and Queen chose as a calm, kind and fitting match for him in the alliance."

"However," she continued more sternly, refusing to let the wolfess turn away. "Having him propose to you as his second wife is a tremendous honour and not one you should throw back in his face. He knew how turning up with Princess Jasmine would affect you and he clearly wanted to make it up to you, show you how much you mean to him. He loves you, Robin. Do you love him?"

"Yes," Robin answered slowly, her ears perking up briefly but flattening despondently against her skull an instant later. "But I've ruined things now. I screamed that I hated him. And now...now..."

She broke down sobbing once more, rolling away from Sylvia who did not know what she could possibly do to comfort the distraught wolf. Robin hugged the damp cushion tightly to her chest, wishing desperately that it was Ryoga in her arms and not some piece of fabric with no warmth or feeling of its own. How could she have let this happen? How could she have lost him so easily?

"You are wrong, Robin," a new voiced stated firmly from the doorway and the two femfurs heads swung around in surprise to see the Queen herself standing there, one paw upon her hip. "He does not hate you and you have not ruined everything."

"Your majesty," Robin bowed her head respectfully, even as tears dripped from her nose to the sheets. "I am so sorry for my mistake, but I fear that he will not love me in any way after this. How did you know of this?"

"No, my dear, I believe that you are quite wrong in your assumption. And it was my son himself who told me of what happened, so I have come to assist you," she said with an air of certainty and strode over to the bed, seating herself confidently beside the two surprised femfurs. "His love is stronger than what you give, or gave, him credit for, my dear. Tell me, before I proceed further: do you love my son?"

"Yes, I am desperately in love with him," Robin responded quickly, pleadingly. "Please, I love him more than anything else and all I want is to be with him... It's all I need. He's who can make me happy and the person that I most want to make happy, forever and always."

"Then that is all the proof I need," the Queen said warmly, giving Sylvia a wink as she hugged Robin tightly to her. "And all is not lost, I assure you, my dear."

"Not lost?" She questioned, sniffing loudly. "How so? How can I make it up to Ryoga? Can I?"

"Of course you can make it up to him!" She said ecstatically, pleased at the direction Robin's thoughts were taking. "I had something in mind and, now that I am reassured that you love him passionately, I am now at liberty to speak freely. The preparation of the wedding cake for Ryoga's and Jasmine's reception is a very special ceremony in itself and must be crafted with the utmost skill with a ceremonial gauntlet; the kitchens for this ceremony are only used upon the tying of a royal marriage. Robin, hopefully you will soon be my daughter through my son's marriage to you, and I believe you should have the honour of taking part in this ceremony, with a very special conclusion, of course."

"Absolutely," Robin agreed immediately, glancing at Sylvia who nodded encouragingly, a slight smile breaking her stern demeanour.