Chapter 290 – Dealing With the Tails

"Why didn't you free me?" I ask. Yuki crawls over to put her soft head in my lap.

What happened to the table?

"You'd better actually have your head in my lap right now," I say. "I won't be happy if you are faking this."

"Of course, my head is in your lap," Yuki says, her tails wrapping me up. Nakuma refuses to give hers up completely, ending up pressing into my back to keep hold of it. "Just ask Fertility. She will confirm I am not using my mana. I just put the table away for a bit."

I rest a hand on her head, rubbing her soft ears as she hugs my waist with her arms while her tails have encased me in soft white fur.

"Your hands are so soft, my Love," Yuki says. "I thought about it. I really did. But you had the deal, and your Mother, Mai, Kelly. I didn't know how to get them all. I was worried about what the Queen would do if I bought you and then took you away. Would she try to hold you or hide your Mother? I thought she knew full well what you were. I mean, she had you just outside her city in a special town for years. How was I supposed to know that she didn't know you were a champion yet or even that you existed? I would've. I wish I had. I promise, I wish I had. I'm here, ready to make up for my mistakes. I've brought you two of the people who have caused you so much pain, and they are yours to do with as you please. I'll serve you. I'll become a mother, giving you beautiful children to love and cherish. Protect you from harm. I did what I could in the brothel to help keep others from buying you. The Mistress constantly had offers, and she wanted to sell you, but I did what I could to keep you from being taken from your Mother. I tried, and the second you were taken, I put a plan together to get you back to your Mother as soon as possible. I didn't hesitate to go into the enemy's land and slaughter a noble house and take two of them as slaves to help your Mother marry you. I've taken action, my Love. I've put myself at risk multiple times for you. Please, I love you, and I'm here to help and work with you. Nakuma and I will help keep you safe. Sarania is strong, but her lust affinity isn't the best in a fight. Add in my illusions and sound, then Nakuma, with her extra mana and space affinity illusion, and even the balloons. You'll be safe, my Love. We'll protect you. That will be our purpose. Protection and kids."

"Like the Queen would be so cruel as to keep her Mother hostage," Elora says.

"She took them from my house to keep me from running off with Alzi," Yuki says.

"They had assassins after them, who almost killed them."

"My sister protected them, and I had a slave and another informant inside the assassin's guild to help keep them safe. Of course, someone took that information away from me. But thank you, Tanatsu, for helping to keep them safe."

"If only you were a bit better at planning," Tanatsu says. "You got lucky that it was your informant that processed the request."

"Dears, Yuki was juggling a lot while trying to earn the right to marry Alzi," the Kitsune Queen says. It seems Yuki isn't a beloved sister back home. "Yuki, are you ready to help Alzi in whatever she wishes to do next? Sorry isn't enough. Not when she could've been free and happy long ago if you had done the right thing."

"Yes, of course, Mother," Yuki says, her cheek pressing into my thighs. Her head is so nice to pet. "I'm hers."

"What about me?" Nakuma mumbles.

"You haven't done anything wrong," I say. "You and Yuki can share a room, at least."

"There you have it," the Kitsune Queen says. "She was being stupid, but she did her best and is doing what she can to make up for her mistakes. But I, of course, have more to offer than just Yuki making it up to you. Yuki, dear, please control your tails a bit, and Nakuma, please wait until after the meeting to hold her tail. Or do I need to send all of you back to etiquette training?"

"Yes, Your Royal Highness," Nakuma stammers. I feel her arms shake as she finds the strength to let go of the fluff. The rest of Yuki's tails fall to the floor with a pout.

"Now, how about meeting my Mother," the Kitsune Queen says, another puff of tails appearing in the middle of the room. Long, flowing white tails slowly weave about to reveal an older woman with a soft smile. "You want protection for your family. Then here you go. I'm not married to my Mother as this Queendom does, and she is willing to marry you if you like."

"How many damn Kitsunes are in my city?" the Queen asks, trying to keep some form of a smile on her face. "I don't remember letting so many in."

"My subjects are free to do as they please," the Kitsune Queen says with a shrug. Her daughters roll their eyes at the statement. "Besides, we are becoming very close allies right now. I'm not like the Phoenixes, who have complete control over some of your nobles."

"Little one, don't lie," the old Kitsune says. "You know full well that only a few Kitsune are free to act as they like outside our realm. Hello Alzi, I am Nanoka, and as my dear daughter said, I am the old Kitsune Queen. It has been a while since I've been in a marriage, and I thought it would be fun to join in. So, are you willing to accept this old one? I like to think I can keep up with the young ones." Her tails fan out, hiding half the room from my sight. Golden circles with a flower inside decorate the ends of the perfect white tails; they all have a slight shine like I used to get from Yuki's tails. Not to mention a bountiful chest and warm smile.

They are giving me all of this, knowing they are going to have to fight off Nature and the dragons. What are they hiding? They have to have something planned to fight off Nature. I'm guessing they are counting on Shimmer to get the Phoenixes to fight off the dragons. Maybe the true Phoenixes will come out? I should've asked if the true Dragons would help the dragonkin.

"Mother, I can't see Alzi," the Kitsune Queen says.

"And? Show your elder some respect. I spent a lot of years raising you and earning these tails. If I want to show off for my prospective wife, I'm going to, and you can deal with it. You never know. You may end up with some new sisters."

"I do not need that image, Mother."

"Then be quiet for a bit. What do you think, Alzi? I won't demand that I join you in bed; I just wanted to make my little one squirm a bit with that threat. I am happy to provide you and your loved ones my protection. I just hope we can get to know each other a bit. Have some tea together sometimes."

I would be stupid to turn this down, right? How powerful is this woman, and she just wants to do it for free? Marrying her is hardly costly when I'm being asked to take in the others, who I hate. All that fluff covering me up as I sleep. All the tails in the world to mindlessly fluff whenever I'm stressed. A soft chest, too. Don't drool, Alzi; I need to look respectful until after the wedding. I mean, I need to look powerful during the negotiations.

"I would be happy to have your help," I say. "It won't be a problem to marry you and Yuki?"

"No," Nanoka says. "It isn't common for us, but it will be no problem." She pops up behind me, taking Nakuma into her lap. The crazy Kitsune falls asleep in an instant. "She was about to snap, I think. I'll control her for now. I'm sure there is more to discuss, so go ahead, Yuki."

"Will you accept my apology?" Yuki says. "I want nothing more than to be your wife."

"Will I be expected to get kitsunes pregnant?" I ask.

"Yes," the Kitsune Queen says. "Yes, we would like your help. We get fewer men than the other races, so we need help. But that is a separate issue. 'Expect' is a bit too much for right now, though we would like you to. We can work out the details and see if it even happens, but we have made enough mistakes that forcing the issue would be incorrect. How about after we deal with Nature and Justice? We can discuss everything then, and I promise we will not force you to get any kitsunes pregnant besides Nakuma and Yuki. I only ask that they have a few kids with you."

"I get to raise the kids," I say. Worst case, I dump Yuki, bloated with my kids, into Nakuma's arms a few times and call it even. That's a small price to pay to have Nanoka watching over Mommy and me.

"Of course. Even if you did get other Kitsunes pregnant, you would be recognized as the father immediately and have full rights to see them and raise them alongside the Mother. We are not animals. Parentage is important to us. It is a blessing for both the parents and the kid for the family to know each other and see each other."

"Now," the Queen says. "That settles the Kitsune issues, I believe. Yuki and Nakuma will marry Elora and be part of that deal. Nanoka will marry Alzi directly."

"Yes," Nanoka says. "We will help protect her. The rest are problems for later and would only be problems for us, not Alzi. Yuki, give Alzi her table back and come here. I have room for another Kitsune on my lap. You'll have plenty of time to play pet with Alzi later."

"Yes, Grandmother," Yuki says, crawling over to Nanoka.

"Then, back to Elora and my Queendom," the Queen says. "We have a number of things you wish for, and it is simply easier for us to grant them if you are in the royal family. There are fewer questions and fewer issues with annoying nobles. You are forgiving Yuki for her shortcomings; I would appreciate you extending that to my daughter. We can't take your kids away from their families now, but they would be more than happy to use them to build a relationship with the Queen, so you'll get to see them often. We can force the women to name you as the father so you get rights to the kids. There will be a number of improvements to your safety as well, and I think that will extend to your lovers. We have the most women to defend you from Nature. While she can field strong beasts, she loves to just overwhelm with numbers."

"Maybe," I say, my eyes locking with Elora's. She doesn't last long before finding the floor with her eyes as her arms shake. Ioelena whispers into her ear and gets a small nod before Elora slips out of the chair and down onto all fours. Her small belly on display with a tight dress, she crawls over to me and even under the table to give me a new head to pet. "I never said I forgive Yuki."

"I'm sorry, Alzi," Elora says. "I tried. I really did. I said I would give you the world. Will you give me another chance to fulfill that promise?"

"You'll be my little dog," I say, petting her head. "I call, and you run to me. Can you do that?"

"Yes, my Love," Elora says. "Yes."

I wouldn't mind an easy way to get my hands on the brothel owners. Maybe I can show the Queen that she really should've found me faster. Yuki isn't wrong that the Queen should've figured something out the first time I got her pregnant, at least. She must have wanted a breeding stud, so I can prove to her that she definitely got one.

So, all that's left are Shimmer and Geta unless some other group wants to offer up some more Princesses to warm my bed.

"Can we please figure out what this living arrangement will look like?" Sarania says. "I feel like I'm talking to a brick wall. My Mistress will not be marrying Elora immediately. That isn't happening. I request a contractual marriage. Two years, and then we decide if the marriage will be permanent or end it there with some breeding agreement."

"That sounds good," I say. "Piecemeal, maybe? I could find some of the women in Elora's harem worthy of marrying me sooner, at least."