Author's Note

Welcome back to C&C yet again, folks. I elected to break up what I thought would be the final chapter to this mini story arc one last time both because it was running over again, and to make sure I got something out before heading out on vacation. Las Vegas, here I come!

Please note that this is the T-rated version of the chapter. If you want the M-rated one, go here instead:

36: Love in War (M-rated)

Please note that the adult content is almost but not quite eliminated here, as it’s a rather charged chapter for the subject matter—Gilda’s first abortive encounter with Chris, Tara and Marco in the clearing after the first battle is replayed for both her and her observers (see the T-rated version of Chapter 22 if you need a refresher).

There is nothing explicit, however, and in fact, the story here proceeds slightly differently than in the M-rated version. Not so much that I can’t bring them back together and converge the storylines later, but in order to keep this T-rated, certain things had to be cut out completely. Nevertheless, expect some suggestive stuff that reaches PG-13 at times. I don’t think it hits R.

As always, I thank my superb prereading crew of Silentwoodfire, AJ_Aficionado, ASF, Wechsel and Silverblade5. They enjoyed the chapter, and hopefully readers will as well. Have at it just as soon as I post the standard boilerplate:

This chapter is brand new content, taking place not long after chapter 9 of the original story. You are not only invited but strongly encouraged to check out the original Feathered Heart if you haven’t already, as it inspired many of my own works.

—Firesight

36: Love in War (T-rated)

As her memory replay began, Gilda felt herself being pulled into the equivalent of a mental embrace as the Queen’s aura enveloped and entered her mind.

Though she wasn’t sure if it was simply part of the process or the Queen trying to reassure her before her illicit acts were laid bare to her commander and comrades alike, she found herself immensely grateful for the presence of the Changeling monarch, who felt far more comforting and motherly than her own mother had ever been.

I know what happened. And I know what you fear, young eagless, the far older female said soothingly, but I can also see that you neither regret it nor would take it back even if given the chance. For to do so would dishonor the Starshina as much as yourself, the Queen thought, now able to read Gilda’s mind directly.

To do so would be to forsake an encounter so unlikely and intense that you still believe the experience to be Ancestor-sent, she further surmised, to which Gilda could feel all the emotions she went through then starting to flood back to her, causing her to internally tear up as she sensed the truth of the words. And therefore, to do so would be to forsake not just the experience, but the Ancestors themselves.

Yes… Gilda acknowledged, uncertain if the others could hear her thoughts or not. As she suddenly had no sense of their presence, she guessed that they couldn’t—that the Queen had imposed privacy to give her a moment of comfort before they proceeded.

I swore an oath to the Ancestors themselves that if they spared me from the dragon, I would never again turn down a worthy partner as I already had repeatedly. And even if it costs me all friendship and honor, to that oath I hold! She struggled not to start crying.

She sensed a mental smile and something akin to a kiss on the head that sent a wave of warmth through her. Then in the eyes of this Queen, you are a true Gryphon, Grizelda Behertz, as honorable as you are beautiful and brave. And know that such exquisite honor will shortly be seen by all…

With those words, Gilda had a sensation of being pulled down deep into her mind to be surrounded by her own memories, which played dreamlike before her.

They were chaotic at first as the innumerable events of the past day vied for attention. But with the Queen’s calm and practiced guidance, they turned from a tempest of rapidly shifting and dangerous gales that threatened to toss her battered psyche to and fro into a steady but gently flowing tailwind. One that she could simply stretch her wings out and be effortlessly carried along by, requiring no effort to remain aloft in.

Ironically, it is those experiencing their memories for a second time that often have the worst trouble with them, anticipating the events to come and trying hard to alter or avoid them when they cannot, the Queen noted, her presence suddenly manifesting next to Gilda in the griffon form she had initially appeared to Tribune Cipio in. The shapeshifting Queen took flight alongside her as she somehow flew forward into the flow of Gilda’s own recollections, watching and feeling along with her as they began to unfold anew.

So as we begin, my final advice to you is this: Fear not this foray into your past, Grizelda Behertz. Be not embarrassed of your errors or ashamed of any mistakes you made. They are inevitable in not just military affairs, but in life itself, and are in fact essential to gaining experience and wisdom. And always remember that I am right here with you, she said as she took position on Gilda’s wing, flying alongside as effortlessly as any sky griffon.

By your command, was all Gilda could think to offer back as her awareness of the Tribune and two Optios returned. Their presence left her realizing that they were now tuned in to her, watching as the events outside of Arnau began to unfold again.

* * * * *

For Gilda, the memory replay passed as if she was a spectator in her own body, not just seeing but experiencing the events unfold for the second time through all her senses.

But as the Queen warned, she was frustratingly unable to affect them even when she knew she was about to make a mistake. Or answer the thoughts and emotions she sensed being thrown her way by the Tribune and others, as her mind was almost—but not quite—completely given over to the replay.

With the small sliver of outside awareness she retained, she dimly realized that was why the Tribune, Giraldi and Optio Virgo had not answered any commentary on their own replays. They simply could not, being mentally muted while their memories unfolded.

But even though all three—and the Queen herself—were in Gilda’s head with her, her impressions of them remained dim and distant as she found herself back outside Arnau, readying for departure to Catlais just as Giraldi’s playback had begun. But in contrast to his starting by chatting with Raleigh, her replay began slightly before that with her meeting the arriving Paladins, who were none too pleased to be there.

She responded to their insults by giving as good as she got, receiving a strong sense of approval from Giraldi and a more grudging one from the Tribune to see her deal with their insubordination, to say nothing of their ugly attitudes towards her relationship with Marco. After all that had happened in the past day, she’d almost forgotten how she repaid their slander in kind, implying that their ranking Paladin—who she did not then know was a Raven Decurion named Ebon Umbreon—spent the bulk of his diplomatic sentry duties sexually servicing Saddle Arabian stallions.

I will grant that you have a sharp wit, and that you guard your human mate’s honor like a griffon would, Behertz, Cipio said to her with his thoughts at one point, but unable to reply, she hoped she would remember the remark enough to thank him later. Or insult him when he soon saw Tara approach and read Gilda’s attraction to the human female, wondering mentally just why such soft creatures would be of any interest to a griffon.

That earned an indignant response from Giraldi and sharp rebuke from Queen Lepidoptes, who headed off an argument by saying to simply watch and listen if he wished to know. Unless I miss my guess, you will learn soon enough, the Queen told him, to which she felt the Tribune make a mental face and Optio Virgo trying hard to mask her hope.

The Tribune also wasn’t entirely pleased with the casualness and informality he sensed from the human soldiers, wondering why they couldn’t seem to get proper military address right as they kept calling Gilda “ma’am.”

You should have come down hard on them early and often, Behertz, he told her, to which Giraldi pointed out that would be counterproductive, given the Marines were there to assist her in having time with Marco behind the back of the human Ambassador and his aide.

She needed their cooperation, for which it would be unwise to antagonize them, he reminded the Tribune, who was unimpressed.

Be that as it may, they need to show proper respect to your rank and station. And regardless of the race of your mate, I do NOT approve of you using your duties and diplomatic command chain as a cover for some crow-damned tryst, Behertz!

But once again, Giraldi answered with far more patience and respect than Gilda would have granted him. One of the first lessons I learned from you as a young Decanus on the Ibexian border was that respect is not simply gained through rank, Tribune. It is gained through word and deed, he recalled in what Gilda knew was likely an attempt at placation by appealing to the Tribune’s pride.

As you can clearly see, their military culture is somewhat more informal than our own, and having been among them for many weeks, the Centurion was fully aware of that. She needed them willing to help her, and thus, treating them like fresh-to-the-Gauntlet fledglings would be ill-advised, he reminded his fellow tiercel again before his mental tone turned very dry.

And with all due respect, sir, if you find this affair questionable, then I suggest you take it up with now-Legate Narada in Arnau. It may interest you to know that she set all this up as a reward for services the Centurion rendered to the Kingdom, including the veritable dragon hoard of information Grizelda Behertz gained on humanity along with myself and Decurion Gletscher, he noted idly, earning a mental snort.

What services? Winning the humans over by willingly rutting them? Cipio suggested contemptuously, earning a brief surge of anger from Giraldi that was quickly quashed.

Hardly. Perhaps you are unaware that it was Centurion Behertz and NOT the Council of Crows who guessed the odd human tubes were in fact cannons? It was a remarkable insight that eluded our best arcane theorists for weeks. THAT is why she was promoted, he explained as they boarded the transports and took flight, leaving Gilda at least dimly aware of how fast her memory was playing despite the background chatter.

But the Tribune was unimpressed. Then the Council of Crows is blind and that dragon-loving excuse of an eagless is a soft and overly-sentimental idiot, he answered. His words caused Queen Lepidoptes to pause the playback, freezing Gilda’s memories just as she was focused on a brief but vivid fantasy of Marco.

Though she had quickly forgotten about it not long after it happened, it had flashed through her mind briefly when she spoke with Marco through the window of his air coach. She’d been actively imagining undressing and pleasuring him as they anticipated their coming time together in Catlais, recalling in that instant the size and shape of his human anatomy.

Her playback frozen, she suddenly couldn’t hear the thoughts of either tiercel as she guessed Queen Lepidoptes was lecturing them in the background on remaining silent and not arguing. But Optio Virgo’s presence remained, giving her a good look at Gilda’s memory of Marco’s impressive stature.

Ancestors above… is THAT what a nude human looks like? The younger eagless asked with her thoughts, but Gilda still couldn’t answer as she sensed the Optio’s presence somehow moved closer to the memory, fascinated by the exotic body. She even began to actively fantasize about him, for which Gilda might have rebuked her if she was able to. Or if she didn’t find it a form of flattery for her mate, especially for as much as the Tribune was disparaging him.

His body and scent are pleasing to me. And is it true what I heard that they don’t fight mating rounds? Optio Virgo almost fervently hoped, making Gilda abruptly understand that in a huge rarity for griffons, the other eagless didn’t mate in large part because she didn’t like the idea of fighting for sex and wasn’t even sure she could. And if so, maybe the other humans would be interested in me?

Gilda felt a strong sense of loneliness from Rubens Virgo just as she regained awareness of Giraldi and Cipio along with the Queen, who had apparently finished scolding the two males. Now mind your manners in my presence, or I will mute you, she just caught the end of her lecture, sounding like a mother addressing two arguing cubs.

She sensed surprise from Giraldi followed by a mental recoil from the Tribune at seeing the same frozen image of Marco’s naked form, but the Queen didn’t let them linger on it, immediately restarting the flow of time in Gilda’s memories to show the end of the midair conversation with Marco through the window of the air carriage.

Though Cipio mentally expressed more disapproval at her breaking vigilance to speak with her mate with the connivance of the Marines—who demonstrated what their ‘blacklights’ did for the first time when Jamal used a small one to see Gilda right through a shroud spell—it quickly disappeared when word of approaching adult dragons was received.

Watching as she dealt with the surprise situation, he acknowledged that Gilda made the correct choice to land immediately instead of attempting to go around or under them. But before they could, the lightning field attack erupted. It struck down the Paladins en masse and sent Marco’s carriage plummeting, with the initial barrage of bolts focusing on the front of the nine-seat coach to kill three of the five griffons carrying it.

She only then remembered how she’d been briefly knocked out by the concussive blast and sent plummeting, leaving her in deep appreciation of how Fortrakt had made it back so quickly and been able to rouse her in midair. She shortly found herself reliving the experience of trying to save the stricken coach by putting the burned and splintered remains of a harness extension on her back without a proper yoke.

It dug into her sensitive wingbase just as painfully as it had before, causing her beak to clench as she trilled her agony at the intense pain, which she could also dimly sense was being fully felt by her onlookers.

An anguished Optio Virgo mentally pleaded for it to stop while Giraldi and the Tribune simply endured it without a mental word, though she could feel Cipio’s astonishment at the lengths she was going to and the pain she was willing to endure to save her mate and human friends.

In the end, they only barely did, though Gilda thankfully hit hard enough to stun herself so she didn’t feel much of being thrown back in the air, bouncing on the ground twice before finally skidding to a stop through what she hadn’t realized then were a series of brambles.

Her heart going a league a minute and her breathing coming in gulps as she only slowly recovered her senses, she forced herself to rise and check on an even more injured Fortrakt, who the watching Gilda silently vowed to thank more properly later given she hadn’t had the chance before. Telling him to hold on for the Magus, she painfully made her way over to the crashed coach, only to watch its door get kicked open from the inside by a heavy human boot and the Marines spill out.

Her relief was palpable to all as she found Marco alive with the only serious injury belonging to Raleigh, starting to arrange for treatment of the wounded after setting defense and discussing the situation with humans and griffons alike.

The injured included her, and once treated, she received the increasingly grim reports regarding the extent of the lightning field above them as well as the dead ponies and griffons they’d found nearby, trying to make sense of their mysterious situation.

The Ravens were shortly revealed, and their far more effective and practiced reconnaissance became essential as they led the way to the overturned cart. But not before Gilda confronted Chris, Marco and Tara about the weapons they’d been hiding, which were finally pulled out of storage gems at her instructions to arm themselves.

The Tribune and even Optio Virgo were intrigued to hear all the exotic jargon and witness the varied forms of their civilian firearms, with the former noticeably surprised when Marco slid a quiver out of his ‘pistol’ full of brass cylinders capped with domes of copper-covered metal to show a Marine.

To see and hear all that, I grant that there is much about these cannons I need to know before I can properly employ them, Cipio finally conceded to a satisfied sense from Giraldi. The Tribune also couldn’t help but note the conflict between the civilians and the human military ‘officer’, to which Giraldi gently corrected him to say the Corporal’s rank was roughly equivalent to Decanus.

In the end, Imlay was not willing to use force to disarm them despite his orders from Raleigh, so he let them go with a threat that he would change his mind if his Marines came under friendly fire.

Such deadly arms in the talons of untrained civilians? I would not have allowed that, Cipio had to say, and the Queen did not rebuke him this time as he wasn’t addressing Gilda directly.

As you will shortly see, for them NOT to be there would have cost the battle, sir, Giraldi replied briefly before falling silent again.

The ambush at the cart soon erupted as it had before, though this time, the Tribune saw it unfold through Gilda’s eyes. Even though she had already guessed the nature of the human weapons, she was still stunned by their power and incredible rate of fire as even their civilians proved effective with them, gunning down corrupted Talons and Paladins alike charging in from the flanks as they guarded the cart and the rear of the Marines.

Gilda knew that her emotions were replaying as well, experiencing them all over again. And she knew they weren’t ones favorable to her as her certainty of defeat was followed by bewilderment and shock to see the humans simply mow down what initially appeared to be an overwhelming assault force, wielding exotic personal cannons the Kingdom had no answer to or equivalent for.

She was reminded again of how useless she felt, though she was finally able to target a corrupted Talon Centurion with her crossbow and later take flight to kill a possessed civilian earth griffon. She also recalled her mingled fear for Marco and the pride she took in both him and his friends as they stood their ground and fought well, with Tara proving especially effective as she fluidly switched between her trio of cannons to show her mental guests all three in action.

Gilda sensed understanding dawn on the Tribune as he watched each of them used. Now I see. So their smaller talon-held tubes are only for close defense while the larger ones are for foes further out. And the thicker tube that one human eagless carries creates some form of scatter blast not unlike an airship cannon’s grapeshot, which is both inescapable and deadly to attacking infantry at close range… he realized as he beheld Tara annihilate a succession of captured Paladins and Talons with each type of cannon, the final blowing gaping holes in their heads and torsos.

Indeed. These cannons of theirs are clearly the product of countless centuries of development to have such strength and specialization, Giraldi agreed, sounding far more thoughtful than he had at the time. And I also note the use of different types of cannonballs, for lack of a better term, meaning their ammunition is just as varied and specialized as their weapons—not unlike all the different kinds of crossbow bolts we employ. But why did they develop such unique and powerful arms when it must have taken ages for them to exceed the power of simple crossbows?

Maybe because they had to? Optio Virgo chimed in with her own observations, though she seemed far less freaked than she had upon beholding the human weapons for the first time in Giraldi’s replay. As they cannot wield magic, run fast or fly, they had to be able to defend against those who could. And just as the ponies knew so many centuries earlier in the war between our races, crossbows alone do not suffice against an airborne enemy like us. They needed something with far greater range and striking power to overcome such advantages, and this was the result.

You may be right, Rubens Virgo, Giraldi agreed. But regardless of the answer, they are truly an innovative race to have accomplished all this without magic. As the discussion continued—and this time, Queen Lepidoptes allowed it because they were exchanging observations and insights instead of insults—Gilda found herself regretting her inability to chime in.

She would have told them to wait a few minutes for the answers to their questions if she was able, but the thought was fleeting as she relived the immediate aftermath of the attack. They included her own difficulties and struggle to come to terms with all that had happened, not the least of which was the certainty that they were fighting the Cloven.

And that was to say nothing of the total inferiority of griffon arms to human ones, all of which left her wondering what in the name of the Ancestors she was supposed to do now.

To her surprise, the Tribune expressed something close to sympathy after hearing her forlorn thought. Just this once, I won’t blame you for being at a loss, Behertz. For as I’m sure you saw, I was no different to learn of the foe we faced. And as such powerful and lethal arms that humans employ are completely unknown to the Kingdom, there is no doctrine nor experience that can be drawn on in employing or countering them, Cipio further conceded to feel Gilda’s reeling psyche.

Though she needed a few minutes, she did finally recover and offer instruction to the humans, Marine and civilian alike, regarding the nature of their ancient enemy. Somewhat to her surprise, Cipio did not disparage Marco and his civilian friends for reacting badly to their first combat action, reasoning that—much like for the griffons he had commanded in the past—experiencing actual battle for the first time was quite a shock regardless of your training.

He did, however, react with disfavor towards the lack of discipline and celebratory attitude of the Marines. He mentally remarked that winning one fight did not win the war, and that they seemed far too enamored of their own combat power, leaving them vulnerable to overconfidence and a dangerous belief in their own infallibility.

Though he agreed, Giraldi pointed out that Imlay came down hard on the worst offenders while also taking time to both comfort and critique his civilian charges. He is clearly a veteran soldier to recover so quickly from an unexpected battle, he then observed. And having spoken to him since, I believe he would make an excellent officer in our own armed forces.

I agree. It is also clear he is used to fighting other humans with the same arms, which explains the thick armor they wear, Cipio further observed. Though its non-metallic nature is odd… what is it made of? And how do their ‘firearms’ even function, when our best blackbirds and arcane theorists could not make such weapons practical for anything smaller than an airship or siege engine? He wondered openly as her playback continued.

By then, Gilda was only barely aware of their ongoing discussion, their words forgotten almost as quickly as she heard them. She relived how she’d been filled with such questions and doubts when, needing comfort as much as information, she went off to speak with Marco and his friends after checking in with Decanus Nydia and Spear Jade Jumentum.

The peripheral chatter of her onlookers quieted down as they all observed the disassembly and ‘cleaning’ of the human cannons for the first time, along with hearing an explanation as to why they were doing it. Gilda then asked for the capabilities and backstory of their weapons, to which Marco and Chris in particular gave her all she could ever ask for, leaving her mind spinning anew as their thousand-year tale of development and use was related.

Though it was unquestionably good information to share, sensing all three of her griffon onlookers and even the Queen herself listening closely as their capabilities and history were recited, Gilda realized only then that in all her consternation about having what happened with Karin Kazal replayed, she’d completely forgotten about her earlier encounters with Marco and his friends.

But she was helpless to stop it or even feel any measure of anxiety as all four of her onlookers were shown quite vividly what happened in the chat’s aftermath; her intense desires and sensations put on full display along with what the cider did to her and her human friends.

Gilda didn’t recall the exact progression of events until she relived them, but they’d been discussing having statues erected to them in the Hall of Heroes if they died in a half-joking manner, with the three humans offering open invitations to let Gilda and Fortrakt molest their sculptures to their heart’s content.

Excitement and a strong cider smell around her followed; it happened so quickly she wasn’t sure which came first. Regardless, its effects were both incredibly obvious and impressive as the wave of magical passion swiftly overtook them to predictable effects, including enhanced anatomy and sensitivity. It did so to the astonishment of her audience and a sense of delight from Optio Virgo, who Gilda gathered was feeling something sexual for the very first time.

In contrast to her exultation, Giraldi was fascinated by the unfamiliar female sensations as Gilda sensed cider surging within her for real as the memory replayed. The former’s mind flashed strongly back to the night of the cider while the Tribune was initially appalled, but the latter also couldn’t seem to tear his mental attention away from the scene—especially not when Marco first put his human talons upon Gilda.

She sensed the shock of Cipio—and outright enjoyment of Optio Virgo—to feel the intimate contact in earnest. It left her feeling almost helpless to resist his advance as his friends soon joined in, deciding that if they could die, they didn’t want to do so without showing her their love and appreciation.

It was a sentiment an overheated Gilda shared as she began to make out with Tara, whose visage was rimmed with an intense cider-induced aura in Gilda’s memory. Even the Tribune was stunned by not just the pink-rimmed view of her and the feel of her covered flesh, but by her scent and the feel of her soft lips against Gilda’s hard beak, leaving them marveling along with her how well a human muzzle could fit a griffon one.

Ancestors above… came Giraldi’s thought as Gilda had a fleeting sense that even Queen Lepidoptes was surprised, given how the entire encounter had come like a bolt from the blue. I can now recall my own experience with Tara Fields! I could not get enough of her human touch or body… he all but exulted, his excitement growing along with Cipio’s as the Tribune tried but failed to mentally pull away.

He did so despite his own obvious excitement, which Gilda could just sense through what little remained of her outside awareness. Despite her intense distraction, she tried to take note of his discomfort and almost-helpless arousal at what he was experiencing so she could use it against him later. But even her peripheral thoughts were soon scattered by the continuation of the vision and the placing of more human hands against her.

That elicited an audible set of squawks from all present, the Tribune included. Stop this… he just managed to plead shakily through a clenched beak as he was forced to drink in the very intense erotic sensations. Please, I don’t want this! he tried again, but his shaky thoughts were quickly overridden by the delight of the two Optios who were mentally urging even more from Gilda and her three human lovers.

Ancestors above… so THIS is what it is to be an eagless! Giraldi marveled as Optio Virgo seemed equally shocked by what she felt.

Ancestors above… so THIS is what it is to rut! she rejoined, starting to imagine herself in place of Gilda again as her three human friends wanted to avail themselves of her increasingly eager body even more.

Indeed. An unexpected lesson, but for myself, a welcome one in human lovemaking to go along with their warfighting, Queen Lepidoptes broke in, sounding intrigued despite the intense and unlikely sex Gilda was still experiencing—that she was now experiencing as well.

How interesting. I cannot help but note the emphasis they place on teatplay, which as I think about it makes perfect sense given their position and prominence on human females. Though such erotic acts occur occasionally among ponies and ibex, they are almost unknown among griffons who have not been outside the Kingdom—at least, not until we Changelings introduce them to its pleasure, she couldn’t help but add with a self-satisfied note.

With greatest respect, Queen Lepidoptes, not all griffons are unaware of it! a husky-sounding Giraldi told her. My wife rather enjoys it. And I enjoy doing it!

Oh? Then I stand corrected, Galen Giraldi. Your wife is a lucky eagless to both know of it and have a mate who will indulge it. And given how much you appear to be enjoying the idea of it as well, Tribune, I do believe we will have something new to try later! she told Cipio as Gilda felt herself nearing the point of no return in her memory, past which it would be impossible to stop the unexpected encounter from proceeding.

Or, she sensed with her peripheral awareness again, stop her onlookers from reaching rapture from secondhand sensations alone. Ancestors above… I can’t take this! Please stop this, Queen Lepidoptes! The Tribune all but begged her.

But the Queen refused with a mental shake of her head. Discomforting though you find it, consider this an exercise in empathy, Tribune, that will accompany your lesson in human firearms, she told him in some measured amusement. You wanted to know what griffons might find attractive in humans? Now you know. And I hope it will help you to become a better ally for them.

That holds for all of us, Your Highness. This is an unexpected but welcome encounter to witness—I had no idea the Centurion had a tryst with our three human friends! Or what it was to experience sensual pleasure as an eagless! Giraldi told her in some wonder.

If it is not too prying, I wish to know, Queen Lepidoptes—can Changelings shapeshift into different genders? EvenGiraldi’s mental voice sounded slightly breathless as he drank in the exotic sensual sensations, welcoming them even as Cipio struggled against them.

We can indeed. But it is not ideal, as it requires considerably more magic, and it is not as… instinctive to us as our true gender. As it is harder to hold such a form and not our natural state, we tend to be less effective at sex and extracting love that way. But that is NOT to say we cannot make use of such abilities! she mused as Gilda found herself fighting desperately to change the course of events to come—to allow her human friends to have her right then and there.

She did so with the benefit of hindsight, knowing that both Tara and Chris would shortly be wounded and her attempts to be honorable would result in steadily building sexual pressure followed by an encounter she eventually couldn’t stop. But just as Queen Lepidoptes had warned her, she couldn’t alter past events. She was forced to experience it exactly as she had before, with Gilda herself stopping her human friends at the last possible moment, fearful of what would happen if they were caught or the Cloven attacked.

Crows take it… she felt more than thought, taking some solace from the fact that the sudden ceasing of the encounter was just as disheartening to her audience—even Tribune Cipio, who she gathered wasn’t far from a climax of his own by then.

The respite allowed him to recover some of his senses and nerve as he struggled to regain control of himself. By all the crows of the Kingdom, Behertz… So THIS is what you didn’t want me to see? he mentally guessed, to which Gilda was glad she couldn’t answer. An encounter with not one but THREE humans at once? And surrendering yourself to them without so much as a mating round? Ancestors above, have you no shame or sense of duty?

She clearly does, given she stopped it despite how intense her desire and the cider compulsion was. Queen Lepidoptes replied for her. It was an impressive display of willpower—one I daresay is worthy of a Changeling Queen. So tell me, are you angry about that, Tribune, or the fact that you so clearly enjoyed it?

There is no shame in the Centurion’s submission, Tribune. This time, it was Giraldi who spoke up on Gilda’s behalf. As combat was just concluded, no mating round was required to prove their worthiness since they already fought bravely and willingly at her side.

Though she did not initiate it, she was willing to offer herself up to them as a reward for saving her—for saving us all. I cannot fault her for that, especially given I saw such post-action affairs happen many times following battles on the Ibexian border. Particularly between those new soldiers experiencing—and surviving—their first fight.

Galen Giraldi is correct, Gilda heard the Queen project as she paused the playback again, this time with Gilda playfully pouncing Marco and pinning him after he tried one final tease.

By griffon standards, her actions are not unheard of or even particularly untoward. Your race thrives on the thrill of battle and the passion derived from it, especially enjoying powerful weapons such as the humans employ. Trust me—as my Hive has lived among you for a full millennia, we know your proclivities well, Tribune. And how to exploit them to gain love. There was an amused note in her voice as she observed his aroused state, which was now as much physical as mental.

B-but that doesn’t mean— his thoughts started to sound severely unsteady to Gilda as his wings arched harder, causing an audible rending sound in the stretched and more fragile fabric of his dress shirt around his wingbase.

Powerful weapons, exotic anatomy ideal for our relative heights and talons, soft and sensuous bodies paired with a surprisingly griffon-like culture that produces able warriors… Giraldi added in an almost seductive air that suggested he was trying to get a fresh rise out of the Tribune.

Correct again, Galen Giraldi, the Queen approved as Cipio could only clutch his head and lean against the table.Though Gilda’s attention remained mostly fixed on her paused playback, she had enough awareness remaining to hope she would remember it enough to tell Chris, Tara, and Marco about the Tribune’s reaction to their near-sex experience later.

And once they were fully healed and rested, she vowed they would finally finish what they’d started back in the clearing the day before; her desire to do so only further fueled by the approval she’d received for the abortive affair from the Queen and Giraldi.

And even if the Tribune didn’t approve, its effects on him were obvious. Interesting. It would appear that your anatomy has been at least slightly enhanced as well, Tribune. That could happen if the cider scent around us is also infused with that pony fertility potion the ibex force-fed them, the Queen mused, causing the Tribune’s brown eyes to flutter open in surprise.

You may be right, Your Highness, as I believe I have noticed that effect myself previously, Giraldi admitted with a wry note as he continued to observe and enjoy the Tribune’s reaction. I wasn’t entirely certain I didn’t just imagine it, though. Still, I have been wary of being aroused around others since, for fear of what it might do to them.

But the Queen herself was unperturbed. I see. We have employed that potion ourselves when we needed its effects without use of our own magic, but only in very small doses given its highly addictive nature and severe withdrawal symptoms. Certainly nothing like you three imbibed. If you wish, we will see about purging or at least suppressing its effects.

S-so now they’re infecting ME with this? Tribune Cipio suddenly sounded close to panic as he struggled to mentally right himself and force his stubborn excitement away, only to find it growing more intense the more of the cider-soaked air he inhaled and the more of the scene he remembered.

By all the crows of the Kingdom, I’ve seen enough, Countess! I want out! NOW! he demanded, so flustered he accidentally lapsed into calling the Queen by her griffon persona again.

* * * * *

Gilda suddenly felt the magical hold on her slacken and the intrusive magic recede, allowing her to think and speak again. “Very well, Tribune. As you have seen the full power of human firearms by now and it is clear to me that for this to continue would make things worse and not better, I will end it early. I trust you will not object, Centurion?” She floated both Gilda and the Tribune another bowl of honey wine.

Though she didn’t, Gilda still found herself frustrated over the abortive encounter. “Crows take it…” was the first thought she voiced as she struggled to recover her faculties, dipping her beak in the bowl to take a long draw. She leaned heavily on the table in front of her, her relief at finding a way out of revealing what happened with Karin Kazal warring with regretting that what she had revealed had ended when it did.

“Welcome back, Centurion,” Giraldi bared his throat to her. “As far as this griffon and officer is concerned, you have nothing to be ashamed of.”

It took her a moment before she could reply, taking a second sip of the chilled but sweet wine while trying to refocus her thoughts. “Thanks, Optio. Ancestors above, I’m sorry to put you all through that.” She just caught herself from saying that she’d completely forgotten it had occurred for fear of what came later, which would have been as much admitting that there was something even worse that she didn’t want them to witness.

“Don’t be!” an amazed Optio Virgo exclaimed as she pulled herself up, still flushed and lightly panting. “By the Ancestors themselves, that was amazing, Centurion! Your human friends are so wonderful and loving! I just wish it had continued! And that I could have been there in your place…” Gilda could just pick up the wistful note in her voice.

“I, too, am not upset at all, Centurion,” Giraldi added, his face full of wonder as well as what Gilda judged to be fresh fantasy from his suddenly distant expression.

“Nor do I blame you for this. In truth, I am rather envious. For just as Marco Lakan mentioned, you did not know if you were going to survive the night, so why would you not take what might be a final opportunity for intimacy? And better yet, something far more remembered and pure for not being caused by the cider poisoning?” he mused aloud.

“It was caused by it!”Cipio finally rediscovered his voice before Gilda could thank him, knocking the bowl of wine offered him aside. “I could smell it on her friends and can smell it around her now!”

He paused long enough to clutch his head again, only to find he couldn’t seem to shake the spell he found himself under. “By the crows, Behertz, if that’s what it’s still doing to you, then how can you possibly be trusted in battle or command?”

“It’s doing it to me, too, sir,” Giraldi reminded him gently. “The cider you smell is coming from both of us. Though it may have caused some… untoward urges at times, it did not negatively affect my combat performance, nor hers.”

“Maybe you can deal with it, but she clearly can’t! Not if that’s what she’s taking time out to do in the middle of a military operation!” he said, still trying to cover the evidence of his arousal by hiding it beneath the table.

Gilda bit off a curse, mostly for the presence of the Queen, who she judged was starting to look outright annoyed. “I’m sorry, Tribune. Did you not see me risking my life to get us to Lake Languid? Or commanding the action there through Giraldi’s eyes?”

It took him a moment to reply, his breathing still ragged and cheeks flushed as he continued to lean hard against the table. “I saw him running things far more than you! I saw you make multiple mistakes that nearly got you and your force killed, from not recognizing an obvious ambush to making the most crow-damningly stupid move possible when chased by an adult dragon!” he told her, his voice uncharacteristically shrill as his excitement simply refused to subside.

Despite it—or maybe because of it? —he continued to berate her, seeking distraction or some way to convince himself that she was at fault. “Again and again, you had to be bailed out of trouble by those smarter and better armed than you! I also witnessed your dereliction of duty to defend your force while he got everything organized for march and defended Bale in your stead! So what did you do except get healed and nearly start a pony herd with three humans, Behertz?” he shot back.

“That will do, Tribune,”Queen Lepidoptes broke in again before Gilda could, feeling the monarch’s soothing mental pressure against her growing pink-rimmed ire even as she started to sound exasperated. “You are not being fair to her, and you know it. The ambush at the cart was only obvious in hindsight and could not have been anticipated—unless you knew the Cloven were present,”she told him with far more patience than Gilda felt.

“But as unlike you, she had no advance warning of their return, that attack could not be foreseen—even Optio Giraldi and three highly experienced Ravens did not realize the danger that the corpses posed until it was too late. Nor do I take any issue with her actions on the road to Bale, or her defense of it. I instead note her unquestioned bravery and willingness to risk herself on behalf of all, not just her human mate and friends.”

Cipio’s cheeks flushed anew at their mention, and his wings instantly went fully splayed again, causing him to clutch his head as he sidled even closer to the table. “Crows take it… that does not excuse her indulging with not one but three humans who… who…" His eyes glazed at whatever he was imagining, leaving Gilda guessing that he was remembering all the roving human paws upon her given how much he seemed to be mentally leaning into it when it happened.

“Who what, Tribune?” she dared him to say something despite her own only slowly-ebbing arousal. “Turned you on? Made you want to be with them after you said you found the idea appalling? Or worse, be with them as an eagless in my place?” She grinned evilly as she dug her talons in deeper, earning a half-strangled squawk from him as she sensed her words take hold.

Smiling, she was about to continue the tease only to fall silent when the Queen gave her a warning look. “As far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t need to be excused, Tribune. She demonstrably didn’t let it affect the performance of her duties, from leading her force to gaining the information she needed. And I remind you again that she pulled back when most would not have been able to. For as much trouble as you’re currently having with it, would you have?” she asked gently but pointedly.

“Enough!” Cipio said in an uncharacteristically shrill tone, getting up to leave despite his lingering and still-obvious excitement. “You have your opinion, and I have mine! I’ve seen enough and will be recommending to Queen Molyneux that Centurion Behertz be relieved of her command chain and rank due to severe emotional compromise and clear dereliction of duty, to say nothing of that crow-begotten love poison still in her which could infect everycreature around her!”

He glanced down his body briefly and gaped at what he saw. “Crows take it… now release me from this room before that poison does anything else to me!”

The Queen’s eyes narrowed. “You do not give orders here, Tribune. You are my honored guest, but here and now, you are severely trying my patience and hospitality. If it makes you feel better, I know from our own experience that the effects of the fertility potion will pass once your excitement subsides. I will be more than happy to purge its magic from you myself, and deal with any withdrawal symptoms it may cause.”

“Then by all the crows, purge it right now!” he demanded imperiously.

She lowered her head and her gaze turned something close to predatory. “I will—once you apologize for your slander and stop acting like a frightened teenage eagless unable to deal with her first heat. For the one thing I will not abide, Tribune Cipio, is your cowardice in attacking Centurion Behertz simply because you cannot deal with what she made you feel—especially given what the two of us have done in the past,” she reminded him sternly.

“What we’ve done?” he echoed in a near panic. “By all the crows, don’t tell them about that!”

“And just why, by the Hive Mother herself, would you be ashamed of it? You should be proud of yourself, Tribune,” the Queen told him in clearly strained patience. “We worked long and hard to allow you to accept your sensual interests—to finally find the love and physical pleasure you had for so long lacked. Do not forsake that here. For in doing so, you forsake me.”

“But that’s… not…” he clutched his head, leaving Gilda regretting she could no longer see what he was thinking.

“Not what?” the Queen challenged him. “Not important? Not relevant? Both are lies and you know it. And there is no lie more offensive to a Changeling than denying obvious enjoyment of love and lovemaking.”

“Okay, I definitely want to hear more about the two of you now,” Gilda said with an exchange of smirks with Giraldi. “You know, Tribune, if you need more fantasy material, maybe I’ll ask the Queen to show you my first time with Marco a few days back. Or my second just a couple hours ago,” she suggested with another grin at Giraldi, who smiled back as the Tribune gave another slightly strangled sound.

To his credit, Giraldi still tried to speak respectfully to him. “There is no shame in admitting to untoward desires, Tribune Cipio, even when they involve ‘alien apes’. Nor is there any shame in the Centurion’s actions. In my view, she kept her head, displaying exemplary honor and attention to duty despite severe temptation,” he further offered on her behalf, earning a grateful glance and bared throat.

“And with respect, Tribune, that ‘love poison’ is within me, too. As such, if you wish to relieve her of her post, you would have to relieve me for the same reasons at a time no competent officer can be spared. So as the Queen says, be careful not to act on your emotions, sir. And take great care that you do not hold your own inability to deal with what you felt against Centurion Behertz—or me.”

This time, the Queen remained silent, letting Giraldi take the lead as Optio Virgo slowly pulled herself back up into a sitting position. “Ancestors…” she muttered again as she glanced down her belly to see the changes present on her own anatomy from all the cider spoor she had inhaled.

“Sorry about that, Optio. We can’t really turn it off,” Gilda felt compelled to apologize to her.

“Don’t be!” the other eagless said instantly, staring down at herself in wonder. “They feel good and…” her words were lost as she experimentally touched herself with her talons and visibly shivered.

“Well. It would appear your aide has no qualms about the effects of the potion, Tribune,” Gilda said with a grin, resolving to apologize to the young but earnest officer later properly for treating her badly when they first met. “She doesn’t see it as a poison at all.”

“She is not me!” he tried to insist, suddenly unable to look at any of them, keeping his eyes squeezed tightly shut and head pinned between his foretalons.

“Perhaps not, but you still have no cause to complain, Tribune. You wanted to see what Centurion Behertz hid, so she showed you despite the severe violation of privacy it entailed.” Her thoughts were scattered as Giraldi spoke up again. “And I would further note that just as the Queen promised, it was irrelevant to the question of human firearms. In fact, I would point out that the encounter only occurred because the Centurion was seeking information on them. Which she did gain.”

“As always, Galen Giraldi speaks true,” the Queen said with a respectful nod as Gilda caught his eye and bared her throat at him again. “And though we didn’t see her flight across the countryside with Decurion Fortrakt, whose own selfless bravery and officer ability is worth noting, we did see her in action at the lake, Tribune,” she informed him, and Gilda couldn’t help but note the irony of the Changeling Queen being the only one among them who looked unaroused.

“I was watching her the whole time through the eyes of my drones, so take it from me that she performed superbly even when out of view of the Optio, to say nothing of her courage in risking her life repeatedly and commanding nearly two centuries of forces successfully in the battles of Lake Languid. Her subordinates said as much, and even Galen Giraldi, whose judgment you appear to trust, believes in her. Why can’t you?”

“But… she…” The Tribune was at a rare loss for words.

“Um… if I may…” Optio Virgo spoke so tentatively and demurely for a moment that Gilda flashed back to meeting Fluttershy in Ponyville.

“For what it’s worth, I agree with Queen Lepidoptes, Tribune. The information they gave the Centurion on their cannons will make an enormous report for Arnau and help us immensely in employing the human weapons. And speaking for myself, I found the whole conversation and discussion of human history fascinating—especially what I heard from Christopher McLain. By the Ancestors, he seems to be just as much an intellectual as I am.” She blushed again, earning a grin from Gilda at both her support and the thought of the two together.

“If I want your opinion, Optio, I’ll ask for it,” he growled at her, but Gilda quickly noted he was still unable to look at her. “And as you’ve been inappropriately fantasizing about me this whole time, it’s clear you are as emotionally compromised as the Centurion! After you write your report, I will be reassigning you elsewhere!”

The Optio’s beak dropped open and her splayed wings finally slackened. “But sir! You need me to disseminate orders and deal with the supply situation! And by my Ancestors, I s-swear that I didn’t let my feelings for you affect the performance of my—” Her eyes were beginning to glimmer, but she stopped speaking at an upraised armored hoof from Queen Lepidoptes.

“She didn’t. And neither did Galen Giraldi or Grizelda Behertz. But you are, Tribune Cipio.” For the first time, Gilda was certain she heard a note of outright anger in the Queen’s voice.

“At this point, it’s quite clear that you are acting on your fears and inability to accept your enjoyment of the Centurion’s act, rather than what is in the interests of the Kingdom and the city. Do not deny it, as your emotions are an unrolled scroll to me,” she warned him as he looked ready to protest. “It is unbecoming of you as both a military commander, and as the consort of a Changeling Queen.”

He looked up sharply despite his still-flustered face and ongoing arousal, doing his best to hide what Gilda assumed was his newly cider-enhanced stature beneath the lip of the table. “I am not your crow-damned consort just because you seduced me once or twice! I had no idea you were a Changeling before yesterday evening! And I would have had nothing to do with you if I had!”

The Queen’s eyes narrowed further. “Really. Lies do not become you or your station either, Cauda Cipio,” she said, causing Gilda to take immediate notice that she called him by his first name.

“For if memory serves, you came to me that night at the Maior’s dinner party. And far from only seeing me ‘once or twice’, you kept coming back to me over and over again upon learning that I could give you the love and sensual pleasure you had forever lacked in your life. Your Uxor simply could not satisfy you no matter how many mating rounds you fought, and you did not understand why. I showed you why, and it should be obvious from it in turn why you enjoyed the experience of the Centurion’s time with the humans. Which makes your denial of that enjoyment—and the love we shared—a grave insult to both the Centurion and to me.”

“Enjoyment? Love? Crows take it… I am not here to have sex!” he slammed his fists down on the table in disgust. “Least of all as an eagless with a trio of alien apes! Or as an unwitting tuck toy of a deceitful, shapeshifting seductress!” he spat out, clutching his head again.

“Is that so?” Though the Changeling monarch’s voice remained calm, her aura suddenly turned icy, causing Gilda to exchange a shocked glance with Giraldi as she sensed that Tribune Cipio had finally crossed the line with the Queen.

She then bodily picked him up with her magic and dangled him over the table. Her spellwork pinned his arms away and silenced his speech while letting all see his excitement, which clearly hadn’t ebbed at all.

Though Gilda wasn’t sure if it was because of the lingering cider in the air or the work of the Queen, she didn’t particularly care as the Changeling monarch spoke to the Tribune like a royal talking down to a disrespectful subject.

“I have been patient with you despite repeated affronts, Cauda Cipio, as I understood all you had been through and the awful burden you bear. But as you are now acting like little more than a prideful fool in deep denial of his own desires and worse, willing to punish others in order to hide from them, I can see that I am going to have to strip you of that pride before it costs the Kingdom dearly.”

“Be my guest,” Gilda all but leered at him, expecting she would be dismissed shortly so the Queen could mete out whatever punishment she was planning in private. “As you have offended an incredibly important ally, you have turned this into a diplomatic incident, Tribune. Therefore, by my order and on the authority of my diplomatic command chain, you will stay put and atone for your offense by any means she sees fit.”

“Thank you, Centurion. That should cover matters from your side of things. As for mine, I have no intention of harming you, Tribune Cipio. Quite the opposite, in fact,” the Queen informed him matter-of-factly.

Unable to speak, he gave her a shocked look as Gilda very deliberately turned her back on him in a show of disrespect. Just wish I could stay and watch his punishment! For a moment, she was suddenly and quite sorely tempted to stay and ask the Queen to resume the playback, just so he could see what happened later with the Starshina, which she was certain would blow his mind and leave him even more of a mess. If he can’t deal with desiring humans, just imagine how he’d feel forced to lust after an ibex buck!

But even as the image of it brought an evil grin to her mind, she wasn’t about to risk it or betray the confidence of Karin Kazal when she no longer had to. So she turned to leave, nodding at Giraldi to do the same.

“On behalf of the Kingdom, the humans, my forces and myself, I thank you for all your efforts to aid us, Queen Lepidoptes. Be assured that I will be giving a glowing report on everything you’ve done to help the Kingdom and settle this dispute to Queen Molyneux herself.” She paused long enough to bow deeply to her along with Giraldi.

“You are quite welcome, Grizelda Behertz. And please tell Queen Molyneux that I wish to meet her later. I believe we have no less than seven centuries of ‘air to clear’ between our races, to use the Pegasus term,” the Queen replied.

“Of course. Though based on what your Archon told me, I wouldn’t recommend trying to seduce her.” Gilda couldn’t resist saying it even as she bowed low before the Changeling ruler for a second time alongside Giraldi. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to spend all this remembered desire on Marco. I will then eat and write up my own report, which will not be torn in two before the Queen and her advisors get it.”

“Centurion?” Optio Virgo called to her, causing her to look over at the other female. “If you like, I will collect the shredded pieces of your individual reports and rewrite them so your soldiers don’t have to and can rest. My script is excellent, and you can sign your names to them later. As I know you’re all very tired and the Tribune is dismissing me from his service, it’s the least I can do.” She went downcast, suddenly blinking back tears at what Gilda assumed was his rejection of her.

Touched by the offer, Gilda exchanged a surprised look with Giraldi. Wow. Guess she’s not as dweeby as she first seemed! “Why, thank you, Optio. That’s very kind of you. I would invite you to join my staff, but as you’re a Talon and not an Auxiliary Guardsgriffon or Paladin, I’m afraid that the Tribune is right. I can’t command you.”

“Then I volunteer!” she said eagerly, stepping forward to present herself. “Please, I want to help you!”

Though Gilda strongly suspected that the main reason the other eagless wanted to stay was to be around the humans she found so desirable and fascinating, she shook her head. “I know you do, but I can’t accept your offer. I’m honored that you wish to serve both me and the humans, but as a Talon, you answer to the Tribune’s command chain, not to mine.” She nodded up to where he remained suspended in the air.

“Do not take this as punishment or rejection, young Talon. If you wish to help the war effort, you can serve the Kingdom—and by extension, the Centurion and humans—by ensuring a steady flow of supplies to frontline soldiers from the Aricia armories,” Giraldi suggested gently to her crestfallen look.

“These are very important duties, Rubens Virgo. As your talents appear to be organizational, work on keeping our forces armed and fed, and perhaps on creating rest and rotation schedules for our exhausted and hurting warriors. Doing so will go a long way towards solidifying the city’s defense, and improving its long term prospects,” he further encouraged her, though the eagless remained downcast.

“I concur, Galen Giraldi. I am flattered by your interest in aiding us, Rubens Virgo, but I agree that for now, your scholarly skills are best used elsewhere. Which is not to say that you can’t join us later,” Queen Lepidoptes said upon feeling the Optio’s ill-hidden anguish. “So worry not, Optio. Once your immediate duties are finished, I think the Tribune will be much more amenable to assigning you here,” the Queen promised with a wink, causing him to gape and squirm in her magical grasp.

“If he does, I will be more than happy to accept your services, Optio Virgo,” Gilda assured the newly hopeful eagless as well, already imagining her reaction to meeting Chris. “With your permission, we will take our leave now, Queen Lepidoptes. And do return the Tribune to us intact. As much as I hate to admit it, we need his experienced military mind and ability to effectively command a city.”

“Worry not. That is exactly how I intend to return him to you. However…” She gave him a lazy, lascivious look. “Upon reflection, you and the two Optios may stay if you wish, Centurion. As he has insulted all three of you as well as myself at this point, to say nothing of witnessed your encounter with the humans directly, it seems only fitting that you witness his.”

Unable to speak or cover himself, Cipio flushed and shook his head violently as the face of Rubens Virgo lit up.

For her part, Gilda blinked, then grinned, deciding she couldn’t pass up the chance to see the Tribune humbled.

“Well. I would not wish to offer offense to a trusted ally by declining such a generous offer, Queen Lepidoptes. And as the Tribune told you to stay earlier so you can write a report on the proceedings here, I would suggest those orders remain in effect, Optio Virgo. Unless, of course, the Tribune objects?” She turned a mocking gaze of her own on him as he hung helplessly in the air above the table, but again his beak worked but no words came out despite his frantically nodding head.

“Well. I didn’t hear any contrary orders. Did you, Optio Giraldi?” Gilda asked him with a very evil grin, to which he answered in a playful air.

“I did not, sir. And I must point out that a simple head nod does not suffice as new orders, given its meaning is unclear—is he saying ‘Yes, I object,’ or ‘yes, she should stay?’” he mused aloud, unable to hide an element of mirth. “With such ambiguous instructions, I would say that his last stated orders remain in effect and Optio Virgo should remain behind to keep recording the proceedings.”

Gilda didn’t think her respect for him could grow any further, but it did. “Flawlessly argued, Optio Giraldi. Well, you heard him, Optio Virgo. Since I can’t override Tribune Cipio’s commands in this matter, you should continue to stay and observe.”

“By your command, Tribune…” she said in a weak but giddy voice, suddenly seeming unsteady again as she sat back and turned her eyes on him again.

“Very well. We are your humble guests, Queen Lepidoptes,” Gilda felt her excitement growing and inhibitions fading as the cider in her surged again, deciding she’d use it to help charge herself up further for Marco.

“Thank you, Centurion Behertz. Feel free to help yourself to more drink as well. I have various griffon rums available, if you prefer something stronger. If you are not used to it, I would avoid the ibex vodkalf, though.”

“By your command. And rum is fine,” she said as the Queen materialized a new bottle and two small bowls in front of them, to which Giraldi, being the lower rank, began to pour a drink for them both. “But if I may make a single request, could you please inform our outside friends that all is well?” She hoped that the Queen would read between the lines of her statement to tell Karin Kazal that their secret was safe.

“Of course.” Queen Lepidoptes closed her eyes and cast a spell, her sly smile slowly dropping as whatever unspoken conversation she was having unfolded.

And then abruptly, she sighed, her playful mood instantly vanishing. “I’m afraid that I have some troubling news, Centurion. I have just communicated telepathically with the Starshina. Unfortunately, he assumed that revealing your secret to the Tribune was a foregone conclusion, and once he knew, all would know,” she began ominously, causing Gilda to look up sharply, a sinking feeling entering her gut.

“So therefore, not wishing it to be sprung on them or told to them in some tainted manner by the Tribune, I regret to report that he revealed what happened between you both…”